The Crown Office has said its decision not to pursue criminal proceedings against a Dundee-trained sheriff has followed a “full and careful consideration” of the facts of the case.
Jack Brown, who sits in court in Aberdeen, was suspended from his role in January after an allegation of sexual misconduct was passed to police.
He was arrested and charged several days later but has now been told he will no longer face criminal proceedings.
At the time, police confirmed they were investigating the accusation and had been compiling a report to be passed to the procurator fiscal.
But the Crown Office has now confirmed the charge faced by the 59-year-old had been dropped.
A spokesman said the decision followed a “full and careful consideration” of the facts of the case.
“The procurator fiscal deals with every case on its own individual facts and circumstances and will take action where there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so,” he added.
“Following full and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of this case, Crown Counsel instructed that there should be no criminal proceedings at this time.”
The sexual misconduct allegation was first levied against the sheriff in November.
It is understood this had been made by a female employee, and was then reported to police by one of her managers.
Following Sheriff Brown’s suspension, a commission was set up to look into the case.
It was being presided over by Lord Bracadale, who was the senior prosecutor in the 2000 Lockerbie trial at the Scottish Court in the Netherlands.
Prior to his suspension, Sheriff Brown had been working at the High Court in Aberdeen. He was appointed to the city’s sheriffdom in 2016.
After graduating from Dundee University, he trained with Dundee City Council then worked at J&J Hunter before becoming a partner at Shaw & Co.
He set up his own practice, Jack Brown & Co, in Dundee in 1996. He was appointed as a solicitor advocate in 2003 and has been a sheriff since 2005.
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