Gers judge is a Celtic fan Lord Doherty Lord Doherty is a Celtic season ticket holder EXCLUSIVE By PAUL THORNTON Published: 14 hrs ago THE judge in Rangers’ £36million battle with the taxman is a CELTIC fan. Lord Doherty, who is hearing HMRC’s appeal in Edinburgh, has a Hoops season ticket and is a shareholder. The lawman, real name Joseph Raymond Doherty, declared his interest in the Parkhead club before he ruled on ex-Celts ace Artur Boruc’s £200,000 libel action against the News of the World in 2010. Last night a spokeswoman for the judiciary of Scotland said: “This was all raised well in advance with both parties and no objection was taken.” In the tax case, which started on Monday, HMRC are trying to overturn a decision which saw the tax bill of the oldco Rangers regime slashed by millions of pounds. Artur Boruc Lord Doherty ruled on Artur Boruc's libel case Action Images Yesterday it heard claims that the club’s stars expected then owner Sir David Murray to “sort out” special loan arrangements if they failed to pay up. One was told that if an Employment Benefit Trust asked for a sum to be repaid, then Gers would foot the bill, according to HMRC’s legal team. The taxman said trustees were stooges who always followed recommendations from Murray Group. HMRC lost their tax fight with oldco Gers after a tribunal ruled EBTs were loans not payments. The ruling saw Rangers’ tax bill cut from £36.6million plus interest and penalties to just hundreds of thousands of pounds. HMRC insist the judgement was “deeply flawed”. The hearing continues.