The Campbeltown and Oban Sheriff Courts welcomed a new sheriff to the respective towns last month, with Euan Cameron appointed to the role in the two Sheriffdom of North Strathclyde courts in July.
Sheriff Cameron was raised in Ayrshire and graduated from the University of Glasgow with a LLB Law degree, before obtaining a Diploma of Legal Practice in 2002.
He joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as a Procurator Fiscal Deputy 2004 and then returned to practice privately, predominantly in criminal defence.
In 2008 Sheriff Cameron qualified as a Solicitor Advocate in the criminal courts and between 2017-2019, he served with the Mental Health Tribunal and on the Appeals and Regulatory Sub-committee of the Law Society of Scotland.
Between 2020 and his appointments at Campbeltown and Oban, he served as a full-time advocate, presiding over a number of extremely serious crimes.
“It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed to sit in Campbeltown and Oban, with the islands that these two courts represent,” he told the Oban Times.
“I’ve taken steps to speak to a number of sheriffs who have sat in the courts in Campbeltown and Oban, and was informed that they are represented by excellent, trustworthy and hardworking staff, prosecutors and solicitors.
Both the Campbeltown and Oban Sheriff Courts have jurisdiction over a large area of Argyll and islands such as Colonsay, Coll, Lismore and parts of Jura, Islay and Gigha.
Sheriff Cameron added: “I aim to do everything I can to serve the local communities in the best way possible, and I think it’s really important to stay here in Oban or in Campbeltown during court weeks to be part of the community.
“I love the peace in Oban, but it’s also a vibrant town that has a huge amount going for it and I know that it is the same in Campbeltown, which means I’m happy to be moving here.
The new sheriff also has previous experience as a prosecutor fiscal in Lochgilphead and Dunoon ahead of his move to Argyll.
“I grew up in a similar community, meaning I’m not entirely new to the more rural communities that both of these districts have and I’m very fond of the areas I will be serving,” he added.
“I have also been finding out as much as possible about the local areas and I’m very much looking forward to visiting Campbeltown for the first time.”