Kevin Dunion

Kevin Harry Dunion OBE (born 20 December 1955) was the first Scottish Information Commissioner 2003−2012, and formerly Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews 2008−11. He is an Honorary Professor in the University of Dundee School of Law and a member of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Dunion was born in Bridge of Allan, and brought up in Alloa and Glenrothes. He was educated at the University of St Andrews (MA (Hons) Modern History 1978) and at the University of Edinburgh (MSc (Dist) African Studies 1991).

Dunion spent periods in the civil service and university administration. He worked for the pro-devolution magazine Radical Scotland. He joined Oxfam as Campaigns Manager and then took up the post of Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland. From 1996 to 2000 he also served as Chairman of Friends of the Earth International, heading delegations to the United Nations and European Commission.

Information Commissioner

Dunion was appointed as the first Scottish Information Commissioner in February 2003. He was reappointed in 2008. He left office on 23 February 2012 after two terms - a total of nine years in office, during which time he handled some 1,500 cases.

Before becoming the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion was for many years a notable proponent for freedom of information, and gave evidence to the Justice Committee scrutinising the passage of the Bill through the Scottish Parliament. He wrote the book Troublemakers – The Struggle For Environmental Justice In Scotland.

He was elected Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews in October 2008; his term ran until 2011. In 2012 Dunion was appointed Honorary Professor in the University of Dundee School of Law. He is executive director of their Freedom of Information Centre.

In April 2013 he was appointed as a non-lawyer member of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

In 2000 he was awarded an OBE for his work with Friends of the Earth.

In 2011 he was awarded an honorary degree, LLD, by the University of St Andrews.

Dunion is married to Linda Malloch, who was formerly married to Iain Gray, the former leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament.