Anne Smith, Lady Smith

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Anne Smith, Lady Smith, is a Scottish lawyer and retired judge who serves as the chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. She was born Anne Mather on 16 March 1955 and later became one of Scotland’s leading judges.

She studied at Jordanhill School, Cheadle County Grammar School for Girls, and the University of Edinburgh, where she earned an LL.B. (Hons). After a two-year apprenticeship with Shepherd and Wedderburn, she was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1980 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 1993. She worked as standing junior counsel to the Countryside Commission, was a temporary sheriff from 1995 to 1999, chaired the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse from 1998 to 2000, and served as an advocate depute from 2000 to 2001.

In November 2001 she was appointed a judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary, taking the title Lady Smith. She was only the third woman to be appointed to the College of Justice. In July 2016 she became the chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and has been the sole member of the panel since February 2017.

In 2019 a disability discrimination claim was made against Lady Smith in connection with the inquiry. She denied the allegations, and the claim was later withdrawn due to cost concerns. In February 2022 an appeal court ruled that she had acted beyond her powers to prevent the BBC from fully reporting on the claim.

The inquiry has faced criticism from some survivors and groups who say it has biases and a limited remit. Debates have focused on the scope of investigations, the pace and cost of the inquiry, and whether it adequately covers all places where abuse could have occurred. Critics also point to perceived conflicts of interest, such as ties to private schools and the schooling of her family, and have called for greater independence in leadership.

On a personal level, Lady Smith is married to David Alexander Smith, a solicitor, since 1979, and they have a son and a daughter. The inquiry began in 2015 and continues to shape discussions about how best to investigate and learn from historical abuse in Scotland.