News In Focus
3 March 2006
Scanlan honoured with OBE
by Jean Couper
Margaret Scanlan is a well known and highly respected civil law practitioner with the Glasgow firm of Russells Gibson McCaffrey. Throughout a career spanning 30 plus years she has delivered excellent client service and has also contributed significantly to the development and delivery of family law as a member and chairman of the Family Law Association, as editor of the Family Law Bulletin and as being a founder member of Strathkelvin Women’s Aid.
From 1995 to 2001 she was a member of the Sheriff Court Rules Council and a member of the Legal Defence Union.
However, the award of an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list is in particular recognition of her work as a member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board to which she was appointed in September 1997. She has and continues to demonstrate huge commitment to the development and delivery of legal aid so that those who cannot otherwise afford it can have access to justice. Margaret has played a key role in the many improvements to legal aid, particularly civil legal aid, in the past few years. She brings an acute understanding of the needs of both applicants and advisers, and always seeks development of legal aid to better meet client needs, to be efficient to deliver while providing fair remuneration to those who deliver it, and to deliver good value for the Scottish taxpayer.
A great many people across Scotland have benefited from Margaret’s intuitive advice and consideration of their case, or from her work as a member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
The award of an OBE in recognition of her services to the administration of justice in Scotland is an appropriate reward for a lady who has worked so hard and achieved so much for the benefit of others. Congratulations Margaret!
Jean Couper, Chairman, Scottish Legal Aid Board