Scottish Christian.com

Home > News > Scottish Christian News Monitor

Top QC cleared over 'sectarian' jokes

One of Scotland's leading criminal lawyers was cleared yesterday of offending Catholics by telling jokes at a Rangers' supporters club.

Donald Findlay, QC, a noted after-dinner speaker, had faced a disciplinary tribunal after allegations that his quips about the Pope and a nun had brought his profession into disrepute.

After a complaint to professional body the Faculty of Advocates, a tribunal was set up, headed by retired judge Lord Coulsfield, to try Mr Findlay on a charge of professional misconduct.

Two jokes were at the centre of the controversy, one of which allegedly involved Mr Findlay wafting clouds of smoke from his pipe, then coughing, spluttering and saying: "F*** sake, has another Pope died?"

The Faculty of Advocates' tribunal rejected the complaint, saying: "It is clear that the two particular jokes complained of do not amount to conduct which either did or would reasonably be expected to give rise to offence to a significant proportion of the Roman Catholic community in Scotland."

Full story at The Scotsman.