Hugh Matthews, Lord Matthews


Hugh Matthews, Lord Matthews is a Senator of the College of Justice, a judge of Scotland's Supreme Courts.

Early life

Matthews was educated at St Columba's Primary School and St Joseph's Academy, both Roman Catholic state schools in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. He studied at the School of Law of the University of Glasgow, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1979.

Legal career

Matthews served as Standing Junior Counsel to the Department of Employment from 1984 to 1988, and as an Advocate Depute from 1988 to 1993, having been appointed Queen's Counsel in 1992. He was appointed a Temporary Sheriff in 1993, and in 1997 became a full-time Sheriff of Glasgow and Strathkelvin. In 2004, whilst still serving as a Sheriff, he was appointed a Temporary High Court Judge, and in 2007 was raised fully to the Bench of the Supreme Courts of Scotland, as Lord Matthews.
He sits in the High Court of Justiciary and the Outer House of the Court of Session. In 2014 he was the judge in the second trial in the World's End murders case in which he is famous for sentencing Angus Sinclair to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years, which is to date the longest sentence ever passed by a Scottish court. In 2019 he was the judge in the murder of Alesha MacPhail case who sentenced Aaron Campbell to life imprisonment with a minimum of 27 years.
He also sentenced Edward Cairney and Avril Jones the carers for the murder of Margaret Fleming and also Avril fraudulently claimed £182,000 in DWP for Margaret over a period of 18 years to life in prison with a minimum of 14 years.

Personal life

Lord Matthews married Lindsay Wilson in 2000. His interests include ancient history, golf, football, animal husbandry, astronomy and the theatre. He is a member of Pollock Golf Club.