begin, and was forced to defend himself against accusations of having 'abandoned' the victims' families. He was succeeded as Lord Advocate by the Solicitor General, Colin Boyd. The Bench Lord Hardie was appointed a Judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary in March 2000. In 2008, a review of judicial performance named him as "Scotland's worst judge". The figures showed that eighty-four sentences imposed by Hardie had been overturned on appeal, all having been reduced, while two convictions were overturned, although both these convictions arose from the one case, in which it was found Hardie had misdirected the jury on a point of law. Hardie was appointed to the Inner House of the Court of Session in 2010 and retired on 31 December 2012. The Tram Inquiry Lord Hardie was appointed as chair of The Tram Inquiry. Lord Hardie's probe has now lasted longer than the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war. Concealing child abuse The father of two children molested by John Watt QC told a court during the trial of Watt that he told Lord Hardie about the abuse while Hardie was Watt's devilmaster. Lord Hardie did not go to the police to report this child abuse. Watt was convicted in 2022 of assaults on four children including rape. The mother of one of the children said: "If anyone learns that a colleague has abused a child, they should go to the police, no question. Anyone who touches a child in a sexual manner is a danger to all children. If that is where their interests lie, they will do anything to be alone with children". "It is hard to understand how someone who would be dean responsible for the conduct of advocates, the lord advocate, responsible for prosecution, and a High Court judge could fail to do what needed to be done". Arms See also List of Senators of the College of Justice List of Scottish Executive Ministerial Teams List of Life Peerages References 1946 births Living people Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Crossbench life peers Lord Advocates Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People from Alloa Deans of the Faculty of Advocates People educated at St Modan's High School Hardie Life peers created by Elizabeth II