Lawyer who revealed names of Salmond accusers on train is suspended

Gordon Jackson was found to have committed ‘a serious and reprehensible departure from professional standards’.

Gordon Jackson, right, represented Alex Salmond (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Archive)

A prominent lawyer has been suspended for 15 weeks after he was found to have named two of the accusers of Alex Salmond on a train.

Gordon Jackson KC was the dean of the Faculty of Advocates when the incident took place during Mr Salmond’s trial for a number of sexual offences in early 2020.

The former first minister was cleared of the charges.

In the midst of the high profile trial, Mr Jackson took a train from Edinburgh to Glasgow, where he was filmed naming two of the women.

The video was subsequently passed to The Sunday Times newspaper, showing that, as well as naming the two against an order of the court, he said of one: “We thought that eventually people might think she’s a flake and not like her.

“All I need to do is put a smell on her.”

Mr Jackson later resigned from his position as dean and referred himself to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

After initially being suspended for five months, the sanction was reduced to 15 weeks on appeal.

In compromising the anonymity of complainers in what was a highly public trial in the knowledge that the court had made an order to secure anonymity was, in our view, a serious and reprehensible departure from professional standards with which all advocates must comply

Faculty of Advocates

A document released by the Faculty of Advocates said his actions “plainly amount to professional misconduct”.

“Mr Jackson named two complainers in a public place in which other members of the public were present during a discussion about the Salmond trial.

“He did so openly and afforded a member of the public the opportunity to record the conversation on a mobile phone.

“(The person he was speaking to) herself stated that she was shocked by Mr Jackson’s conduct.

“In compromising the anonymity of complainers in what was a highly public trial in the knowledge that the court had made an order to secure anonymity was, in our view, a serious and reprehensible departure from professional standards with which all advocates must comply.”

A submission from the KC, who also served as a Labour MSP between 1999 and 2007, said he “did not intend” to name the complainers.

The document went on: “Having regard to all the factors mentioned above, we have concluded that suspension from practice for a period of 15 weeks is the appropriate penalty in this case.”

Another complaint was made by Rape Crisis Scotland chief executive Sandy Brindley regarding the same incident, however, the commission opted not to increase the sanction.