{{Short description|British politician (born 1948)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}} {{Use British English|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Gordon Jackson | honorific_suffix = [[King's Counsel|KC]] | image = GJ losing (cropped).JPG | caption = Jackson pictured at the [[Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre|SECC]] giving his candidate speech after losing the Glasgow Govan seat to [[Nicola Sturgeon]]. | constituency_MP = [[Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Govan]] | parliament = Scottish | term_start = [[1999 Scottish Parliament election|6 May 1999]] | term_end = 2 April 2007 | predecessor = ''Constituency created'' | successor = [[Nicola Sturgeon]] | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|8|5|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Ardrossan]], Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = William Gordon Jackson | party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] | spouse = {{marriage|Anne Stevely|1972}} | alma_mater = [[University of St Andrews]] | occupation = | profession = [[Faculty of Advocates|Advocate]] | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''William Gordon Jackson''' [[King's Counsel|KC]] (born 5 August 1948) is a senior Scottish lawyer who served as Dean of the [[Faculty of Advocates]] from 2016 until 2020. From 1999 to 2007, he was a [[Scottish Labour Party]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) for [[Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Govan]].
==Early life==
Jackson was educated at [[Ardrossan Academy]] and studied law at the [[University of St Andrews]]. He was admitted to the [[Faculty of Advocates]] in 1979 and served as an [[Advocate Depute]] from 1987 to 1990. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales ([[Lincoln's Inn]]) in 1979, and appointed [[Queen's Counsel]] in Scotland in 1990.
==Political career==
Jackson was elected to the [[Scottish Parliament]] in the [[1999 Scottish Parliament election|1999 election]] representing [[Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Govan]]. While serving as a member, he continued to undertake work at the Bar, provoking criticism in some quarters. He was reputedly nicknamed "''Crackerjack''", for repeatedly arriving at Parliament just before the 5{{nbsp}}pm vote; the name was a reference to the children's programme, [[Crackerjack (TV series)|''Crackerjack'']], which famously started at 4:55{{nbsp}}pm.<ref>{{cite web|title=Two jobs MSP vows to give up law|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/5160076.stm|publisher=[[BBC News Online]]|date=8 July 2006|access-date=24 August 2009}}</ref> He was defeated in the [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007 election]] by then-[[Scottish National Party]] Depute Leader [[Nicola Sturgeon]].
==Legal career==
Jackson continues to practise at the Scottish Bar. At one time he was tipped to become a [[Senator of the College of Justice]] by the ''[[Sunday Herald]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Male, white, middle class, privately educated, Edinburgh resident, New Club member ... is it time to change the face of the Scottish judiciary? |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12765703.male-white-middle-class-privately-educated-edinburgh-resident-new-club-member-time-change-face-scottish-judiciary/ |publisher=[[Sunday Herald]] |accessdate=24 August 2009 }}</ref>
In 2016, he became Dean of the [[Faculty of Advocates]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.advocates.org.uk/faculty-of-advocates/governance/office-bearers|title=Office-bearers|website=www.advocates.org.uk}}</ref> He was the lead defence counsel in the trial of [[Alex Salmond]], who was acquitted of all charges.<ref name=November>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-50486713|title=Alex Salmond accused of sexual assaults on 10 women|date=21 November 2019|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=9 February 2020}}</ref> On 3 April 2020, Jackson announced his intention to resign as Dean of Faculty with effect from 30 June 2020 at the latest.<ref name=April>{{cite news|url=https://twitter.com/FacultyScot/status/1246100356548919299|title=Statement of Gordon Jackson QC|date=3 April 2020|publisher=Faculty of Advocates|accessdate=3 April 2020}}</ref> This followed reports that Jackson had self-reported himself to the [[Scottish Legal Complaints Commission]] after footage of him was published in which he appeared to name two of the women who alleged sexual assaults by Alex Salmond, in contravention of rules that protect the anonymity of complainers.<ref name=March>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/29/alex-salmond-qc-to-be-investigated-after-naming-trial-women|title=Alex Salmond's QC to be investigated 'after naming trial women'|date=29 March 2020|publisher=Guardian|accessdate=3 April 2020}}</ref> Jackson was found guilty of professional misconduct.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20091955.alex-salmonds-qc-gordon-jackson-guilty-misconduct-naming-sex-trial-complainers-train/|title=Alex Salmond's QC Gordon Jackson guilty of misconduct for naming sex trial complainers on train|date=25 April 2022|publisher=The Herald|accessdate=6 October 2022}}</ref>
==Personal life==
He is an Honorary Vice-President of [[English-Speaking Union Scotland]].
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{SP-MSP}}
{{S-start}} {{s-par|sct}} {{s-new | constituency}} {{s-ttl | title=[[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] for [[Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Govan]] | years=[[1999 Scottish Parliament election|1999]]–[[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007]] }} {{s-aft | after=[[Nicola Sturgeon]] }} {{s-end}}
{{Former Labour MSPs|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Gordon}} [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of St Andrews]] [[Category:Labour MSPs]] [[Category:Deans of the Faculty of Advocates]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007]] [[Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow constituencies]] [[Category:People educated at Ardrossan Academy]] [[Category:Scottish King's Counsel]] [[Category:Scottish lawyers]]