Queen’s Counsel appointed

The Scottish Government announced today that:-

“Her Majesty the Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of 10 new Queen’s Counsel, on the recommendation of First Minister Alex Salmond.

Seven of the appointees are members of the Faculty of Advocates. They are Eugene Creally, Keith Douglas Stewart, Simon Geoffrey Collins, Kenneth John Campbell, Mark Stanley Hunter Lindsay, Lorna Allison Drummond and John Robert Anderson Hamilton.

Also appointed are Sir Angus Grossart and Sheriff William Dunlop, who are former members of the Faculty of Advocates, and John Dominic Scott who is a Solicitor Advocate.

Each individual was nominated by the Rt Hon Lord Hamilton, the Lord Justice General. With the agreement of Lord Hamilton, John Neilson QPM acted as an observer of the process and provided the First Minster with a separate report on his findings.

The rank of Queen’s Counsel is generally reserved for those who have distinguished themselves in practice in the Supreme Courts. Advocates and Solicitors with Rights of Audience in the Supreme Courts are eligible to apply to the Lord Justice General, Scotland’s senior judge. Before making recommendations, the Lord Justice General consults other judges, the Lord Advocate, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and the President of the Law Society of Scotland.

On this occasion the Lord Justice General recommended Sir Angus Grossart to be awarded an Honorary QC and that Sheriff William Dunlop, currently a serving Sheriff, be appointed to the rank of QC.

The Honorary QC rank is made to individuals who have distinguished themselves in public life and this honour has previously been bestowed on Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the Earl of Selkirk and the late John Smith. There is also a precedent in relation to the appointment of a servicing member of the judiciary.”