Joanna Cherry

Joanna Cherry
QC MP
SNP Spokesperson on Home Affairs and Justice
Assumed office
20 May 2015
Preceded by Position established
Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh South West
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded by Alistair Darling
Majority 8,135 (15.8%)
Personal details
Born Joanna Catherine Cherry
(1966-03-18) 18 March 1966
Edinburgh, Scotland
Political party Scottish National Party
Alma mater University of Edinburgh

Joanna Catherine Cherry QC (born 18 March 1966[1]) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh South West since May 2015.[2][3][4] She is the SNP Justice and Home Affairs spokesperson in the House of Commons.

Cherry was educated at St Margaret's Convent School in Edinburgh [5] and the University of Edinburgh, where she gained a first-class Bachelor of Laws Honours degree in 1988, a Master of Laws degree in 1989 and a Diploma in Legal Practice in 1990. Following her graduation she worked as a research assistant with the Scottish Law Commission (1990) before practising as a solicitor with the Edinburgh legal firm Brodies WS until 1995. She also worked as a part-time tutor in constitutional law, family law and civil court practice at the University of Edinburgh (1990–1996).

Cherry was admitted as an advocate in 1995, with a particular interest in employment and industrial relations, health and safety, mental health, personal injury and professional negligence.

She served as a Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government from 2003 to 2008, and as an Advocate Depute and Senior Advocate Depute from 2008 until 2011. She was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2009[6] and was an advocate with the Arnot Manderson stable within the Faculty of Advocates until her election to parliament.

In 2014, she set up the "Lawyers for Yes" campaign group.[7]

Cherry self-identifies as LGBT.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Birth certificate of Joanna Catherine Cherry, 18 March 1966, Edinburgh District 328/87 3849 – National Records of Scotland
  2. ↑ "List of Members returned to Parliament at the General Election 2015 Scotland". The Edinburgh Gazette. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "Edinburgh South West Parliamentary constituency". BBC. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Scottish MPs in Westminster: The full list of the SNP parliamentarians". Ben Tufft. The Independent. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "Analysis: SNP bucks trend for privately educated MPs". David Leask. The Herald. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Twelve new Queen's Counsel appointed". The Journal. Law Society of Scotland. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  7. ↑ ""Lawyers for Yes" sign independence declaration". The Journal. Law Society of Scotland. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  8. ↑ Andrew Reynolds (13 May 2015). "The UK broke its own record for LGBT representation last week". New Statesman. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Alistair Darling		 Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh South West
2015–present 		Incumbent
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