Donald Ross, Lord Ross


Donald MacArthur Ross, Lord Ross, PC, FRSE is a former Lord Justice Clerk - the second most senior judge in Scotland.

Personal life

He was born in Dundee and educated at the High School of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh. Lord Ross is married with two daughters and six grandchildren.

Career

He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates and became a Queen's Counsel in 1964. He has been Sheriff of Ayr and Bute, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, and a Senator of the College of Justice. He served as Lord Justice Clerk from 1985 until 1997.
Ross also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1988
In 1990 and 1991 he was Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He is an elder at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.
In 1997-2001 was Chairman of the Judicial Studies Committee for Scotland. He became a Privy Counsellor in 1985 and was elected fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1988, where he was Vice-President from 1999 until 2002. He is currently the Honorary President of The Dundee High School Old Boys' Club.
He sentenced paedophile Bill Kelly, who pleaded guilty to 14 charges of indecent sexual assault on children, to a custodial sentence of 12 months as he deemed the victims to "not have suffered long term damage".