Sheriff Iona McDonald has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Sheriff McDonald, Senior Sheriff at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, has been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to law and order.
Sheriff McDonald was educated at Cumnock Academy and she graduated from Glasgow University with a Master of Arts in 1976 and Law degree in 1978.
She was appointed as a temporary Sheriff in 1994 and received a full appointment in 2000 to the Sheriffdom of North Strathclyde, sitting in Paisley and Kilmarnock Sheriff courts. Since 2007 she has been Senior Sheriff at Kilmarnock.
During her distinguished career Sheriff McDonald has held a number of other positions. She has acted as a court reporter in family cases and as a safeguarder in children’s hearings. She has been a facilitator for judicial studies training and a mentor to newly appointed Sheriffs. In 2010 she was appointed a member of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Board where she was chair of the Estates Committee. She was also involved in the training of Justices of the Peace and Children’s Panel members. Sheriff McDonald is involved in charity fundraising, in particular for the British Heart Foundation.
In 2017, she was appointed The Lord-Lieutenant of Ayrshire by Her Majesty The Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, having previously served as a Deputy Lieutenant since 2014.
The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2019 recognises the outstanding achievements of people across the United Kingdom.
The OBE is awarded for having a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area.