SHERIFF Richard Davidson’s targets included the Government, religious schools and a mum in a child access battle.
He was criticised for cutting a shoplifter’s sentence by a month to celebrate the occasion of his 50th conviction and issued a rare public apology for calling Dundonians “vicious rather than stupid”.
Now he has decided to step down from the bench two years early following two high-profile criticisms of SNP-backed legislation.
In February 2014, he famously dismissed the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act as “mince”.
Then, two months ago, he called laws around domestic abuse as “way over the top” while sentencing a woman for shouting at her husband in their home.
The remarks brought criticism from local MP Ian Blackford and Women’s Aid, who insisted all victims of domestic abuse needed to be protected by law.
Davidson has quit his job on the bench at the age of 68 – though he could have stayed on until the official retiral age of 70.
One Highland court lawyer, who asked not to be named, said: “It sounds to me as if Sheriff Davidson was pushed out of his job rather than resigned.
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“His departure is a great loss to the court system because he was a very good judge, dispensing justice with firmness and understanding.
“However, like Prince Philip, he could also be prone to the odd gaffe here and there which did not always go down well with the authorities.”
Davidson spent most of his career in Dundee and hit the headlines with a series of controversial remarks and decisions.
In 1997, the sheriff told a social workers’ conference that children of drug addicts should be put up for adoption.
And in 2004, he was widely criticised for telling a bride she didn’t have enough cleavage to fill her wedding dress.
The comments were made to Margaret Christie after she was asked to wear the dress in court as she sued the supplier.
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In November 2008, he was criticised by campaign group Justice for Victims for sentencing serial shoplifter John Hendry to three months instead of four as a “special award” to mark his 50th conviction.
Three months later, he accused a mixed-race mother fighting a child-access dispute of behaving like Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.
He also told Tina Monem that if she did not accept his ruling, she could “go to Zimbabwe”.
His biggest controversy came in 2013 after clearing a Celtic fan of singing sectarian songs during a Boxing Day match with Dundee.
He described the legislation as horribly drafted, saying: “Somehow the word mince comes to mind.”
The sheriff also said the best way to deal with sectarianism in Scotland was to do away with denominational schools.
That provoked an immediate backlash from the Catholic Church, who described his remarks as deeply regrettable, while the Crown Office considered an appeal against his verdict.
Shortly after, he was moved to the Highlands – 130 miles away – despite 20 years on the bench in Dundee and a home in nearby Blairgowrie.
Davidson was also told he would have to hear cases in Portree on the Isle of Skye, another 100 miles away.
Speaking from his home in Blairgowrie, Davidson was more reticent than his past form might suggest and would only say: “I have retired.”
He declined to give any further reasons for quitting.
The sheriff will return temporarily to court later this month to complete unfinished cases at Fort William and Portree.
The Judicial Office of Scotland said: “Mr Davidson retired on May 31 having served as a sheriff since 1989.”