Hazel Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove

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Hazel Josephine Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove, OBE (née Aronson) (born 12 January 1946, Glasgow), is a Scottish lawyer and was a Judge of the Court of Session, Scotland's Supreme Court, from 1996-2006, the first woman to be appointed to such a position. During her judicial career she also served as Sheriff of Glasgow & Strathkelvin (1979-83) and of Lothian and Borders (1983-96).

The Right Honourable Lady Cosgrove

Lady Cosgrove was educated at Glasgow High School for Girls. She then read Law at Glasgow University (LLB) and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1968. She was Standing Junior Counsel to the Department of Trade from 1977 to 1979 and served as a Sheriff in Glasgow (1979-83) and Edinburgh (1983-96). She was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1991 and served as a Temporary Judge from 1992 until 1996.

From 1988 to 1991 she was a member of the Parole Board for Scotland and from 1991 to 1996 she was Chairman of the Mental Welfare Commission. Lady Cosgrove is currently Deputy Chairman of the Boundary Commission for Scotland. She is also Chairman of the Expert Panel on Sex Offending.

In February 2003, Lady Cosgrove 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, and has also been awarded honorary degrees from a number of institutions.

Lady Cosgrove retired as a Senator of the College of Justice on 24th March 2006 shortly after her 60th birthday, however she still sits on the bench occasionally when there is a shortage of judges.