School of Law room renamed

Published: 8 June 2015

The Tartu Room in the School of Law is to be renamed the Lady Cosgrove room.

Portrait of Lady CosgroveThe Tartu Room in the School of Law is to be renamed the Lady Cosgrove room.

The room is situated in the School of Law, Stair Building at 5–9 The Square.

It is currently named after the city of Tartu in Estonia.

Mark Furse, Professor of Competition Law and Policy and Head of the School of Law, said:

“The School of Law is delighted to recognise and celebrate the achievements of Lady Cosgrove, who graduated from the School of Law in 1966, and went on to become the first woman to be a judge of the Supreme Court in Scotland.

Overwhelming support

"When colleagues in the School were consulted as to whose achievements should be recognised in the renaming of the Tartu Room there was overwhelming support for the nomination of Lady Cosgrove.”

"There was overwhelming support for the nomination of Lady Cosgrove."

The School of Law has made efforts to redress gender imbalances and has received  a Bronze Gender Charter mark award for its progress so far.  

The award is given to universities and departments which have made progress in advancing gender equality in arts, humanities and social science careers in higher education.

Marking the change

Lady Cosgrove will formally re-open the room on 16 June 2015 at 5.30pm.

Staff from the School of Law and members of the Senior Management Team, including Professor Anton Muscatelli will be in attendance.

Colleagues from other schools and departments are welcome to attend. For more details on attending, please contact Jennifer Crawford.

More about Lady Cosgrove

Born in Glasgow, Lady Cosgrove was a pupil at Glasgow High School for Girls and studied Law at the University, graduating LLB in 1966.

In 1968, she was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates and was Standing Junior Counsel to the Department of Trade from 1977 to 1979. She was the first female Sheriff of Glasgow and Strathkelvin, from 1979 to 1983, and Sheriff of Lothian and Borders from 1983 to 1996.

From 1992 to 1996 Lady Cosgrove was a temporary judge in the High Court and Court of Session. On 12 July 1996 she became the first woman to be appointed to a permanent seat on the Court of Session bench, taking the judicial title Lady Cosgrove.

Lady Cosgrove has been awarded honorary degrees from a number of universities including an LLD from the University of Glasgow in 2002.

In February 2003, she was appointed to the Inner House of the Court of Session and sworn of Her Majesty's Privy Council. She received an OBE in 2004 for services to the criminal justice system in Scotland.


First published: 8 June 2015

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