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Ailsa Carmichael, Lady Carmichael

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The Honourable
Lady Carmichael
Senator of the College of Justice
Incumbent
Assumed office
30 June 2016
Nominated byNicola Sturgeon
As First Minister
MonarchElizabeth II
Personal details
Born
Ailsa Jane Carmichael

(1969-11-26) 26 November 1969 (age 54)
Paisley, Scotland
Spouse
Paul Barnaby
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2008)​
Pino Di Emidio
​
(m. 2010)​
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
Occupationjudge, lawyer
ProfessionAdvocate

Ailsa Jane Carmichael, Lady Carmichael (born 26 November 1969)[1] is a Scottish advocate and judge who has served as a Senator of the College of Justice since 2016.

Early life

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Ailsa Jane Carmichael was born on 28 November 1969 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, the eldest of two daughters to Ian Henry Buist Carmichael and Jean Cowie Carmichael (née Davidson).[2][3] Her father was an advocate and worked for the Scottish Legal Action Group.[4] Carmichael's younger sister Heather is an advocate, working in Westwater Advocates.[5]

In 1986, after leaving school from fifth year, Carmichael attended the University of Glasgow School of Law. She studied abroad at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and worked in law firms in Amsterdam.[6][7] In 1990, she graduated with an LLB (hons) (Upper Second Class specialising in Comparative Law) and gained a Diploma in Legal Practice the following year.[8][9]

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After receiving her Diploma in Legal Practice in 1991, she undertook a bar traineeship with Simpson & Marwick in Edinburgh after which[7] she was admitted as an advocate in 1993,[10] and devilled for sheriff J.A. Baird and for S.J. MacGibbon.[11] From 2000 to 2008 she was standing junior counsel to the Home Office in Scotland, appearing in many judicial reviews and statutory appeals relating to immigration and asylum. She was junior counsel to the Fingerprint Inquiry,[10] which investigated the use of fingerprint evidence in the case of Detective Constable Shirley McKie.[12]

She took silk in 2008.[7]

Carmichael specialises in public and administrative law.[10] She served as an advocate depute, as a member of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland, and as a part-time sheriff.[11]

From 2011 to 2014, Carmichael was a tutor in human rights at the Diploma in Legal Practice course at the University of Edinburgh.[7]

Senator of the College of Justice

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On 11 May 2016, it was announced that Carmichael would be one of five new judges appointed to the College of Justice, the others being John Beckett, Alistair Clark, Frank Mulholland, and Andrew Stewart.[13] Mulholland's appointment was not due to take effect until later in 2016, after the retirement of another judge. The other four appointees were to fill existing vacancies.[14] Beckett, Clark and Stewart were all installed in May,[15][16][17] however Carmichael's installation came a month later, on 30 June 2016.[9] She took the judicial title Lady Carmichael.[9]

Experience of sexism, and the importance of women role models

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Carmichael has spoken about experiencing sexism and sexual harassment in her legal training, and of the effect of being a parent on her studies.[6] She has said:

I think that it is sometimes harder than we acknowledge to free ourselves from traditional narratives about the roles of men and women respectively in society generally, and in professional life in particular. We know intellectually that they are not true, or do not need to be true. But it is still much rarer, I am afraid, to hear a woman described as "brilliant" than it is a man. Expectations as to "soft skills" are still higher in relation to women than they are in relation to men. Even when women achieve high office, these more subtle narratives and expectations have a way of persisting. Having visible examples of women who have succeeded in law has been important to me.

— Lady Carmichael, 100 Voices for 100 Years, University of Glasgow

Personal life

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In 1997 she married Paul Barnaby. They had a daughter and son. Their marriage was dissolved in 2008. In 2010 she married Pino Di Emidio; they have a daughter.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Carmichael, Hon. Lady, (Ailsa Jane Carmichael) (born 1969)". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U249644. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Ian Carmichael". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Lindsey-Mackenzie - User Trees - Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Ian Henry Buist CARMICHAEL personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  5. ^ "heather-carmichael". Westwater Advocates Stable. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b "University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Law - 100 Years - 100 Voices for 100 Years - Lady Carmichael". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d "Ailsa Carmichael". Ampersand law set. Retrieved 5 June 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Carmichael, Hon. Lady, (Ailsa Jane Carmichael)", Who's Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2009, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u249644, ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4, retrieved 22 April 2019
  9. ^ a b c "Lady Carmichael joins the bench". Scottish Legal News. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  10. ^ a b c "Ailsa J. Carmichael QC". Faculty of Advocates website. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Ailsa J. Carmichael QC". Murray Stable. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  12. ^ "About the Inquiry". Fingerprint Inquiry Scotland. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Senators appointed to College of Justice". Scottish Government website. 11 May 2016. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  14. ^ "Five new Senators named". Faculty of Advocates website. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Lord Beckett joins Scottish bench". Scottish Legal News. 17 May 2016. Archived from the original on 18 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Alistair Clark QC made Senator of the College of Justice". Scottish Legal News. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  17. ^ "Lord Ericht joins the bench". Scottish Legal News. 31 May 2016. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
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