Our Advocates

Professional Information:

Appointments:

• Junior Counsel to the Lord President of the Court of Session
  1989-1990
• Standing Junior Counsel, Department of Environment 1992-1999
• Advocate Depute (Ad hoc) 1994-1995, 2002-present
  
  
  

Professional:

• Vice-Chairman, Scottish Planning, Local Government and Environmental Bar Group
• Chairman, Faculty Investigation Committee
• Member, Faculty Committee on Company Law Reform 

Publications:

• Design Rights - Transitional Provisions, 1994 SLT 142
• Pursuer's Offers - The Legacy, 1997 SLT 21
• National Planning Framework - SPEL Magazine, Oct 2007
• Planning Appeals, Reviews and Judicial Reviews - SPEL Magazine, June 2009

Cases:

• Gillies Ramsay Diamond v P J W Enterprises 2004 SLT 545 (IH) – judicial review, adjudication, error of law, professional negligence
• Ritchie Brothers v Philp Commercials 2005 SLT 341 (IH) – adjudication, time limits, whether award null
• Rennie & Co v BP (unpublished arbitration 2007- deed of servitude, oil pipeline, loss of development opportunity)

Aviation

• Fatal Accident Inquiry on behalf of aircraft manufacturer following crash
• Unpublished proceedings in Court of Session on behalf of manufacturer following jet engine failure

Banking

• Strathmore Group v Credit Lyonais 1994 SLT 1023 – bill of exchange
• Compagnie Commercial Andre SA v Bank of Scotland 2001 SC 653 shipping/banking, freight, assignation, restitution, constructive trust

Compulsory Purchase - See: Planning/etc.

Company & Partnership

• Unpublished cases

Constitutional

• Monckton v Lord Advocate 1995 SLT 1201 – Judicial Review, Maastricht Treaty, vires of crown actings

• Scott Lithgow v GEC Electrical Projects 1992 SLT 244 – shipbuilding contract, ius quasitium tertio, pure economic loss
• De La Rue International v Scottish Power (unreported, Lord MacFadyen 17 Oct 2000) – contract – public procurement procedure
• Excell Multimedia v Cable & Wireless (unreported, Lord Hamilton 27 March 2000) – benchmarking provisions, outsourcing contract, telecoms
• Slessor v Vetco Gray [2006] CSOH 104 – indemnity clause

• Star Offshore Services v NUS 1988 SLT 836 – unlawful secondary action
• National Dock Labour Board v Arnott Young 1989 SLT 645, NDLB v Sheppard Group 1989 SLT (IH) 661 – enforcement of statutory labour scheme, title and interest to sue
• Smith v Glasgow District Council (IH, 1997 GWD 22-1302) – reduction of dismissal

• Glasgow Training Group v Lombard Continental plc 1989 SC 30 – insurance contract, ‘storm’
• Bell v Lothiansure 1993 SLT 421 (IH) – indemnity – insolvency of insurance company
• Church Commissioners for England v Scor UK Limited (unreported, Lord Hamilton 20 May 1998) – contract of insurance, deductible clause

• Exal Sampling Services v Massie 1993 SLT 1220 – patent infringement, recovery of documents
• Beecham Group v Munro Wholesale 2002 SLT 263 – trademark – parallel importing
• Gleneagles Hotel v Quillco 100 2003 SLT 812 – trademark – dilution of brand
• Experience in proceedings before Comptroller of Patents

• Various unpublished copyright, design right, trademark and restrictive covenant cases. Attendance at IP course held by Edinburgh University via Faculty of Advocates

Judicial Review - See: Planning/etc.

• House of Fraser v Prudential Insurance 1993 SLT 519 (OH) – FRI lease, repairing obligation
• Witan Properties v Lord Advocate (Lord Coulsfield, unreported 1 July 1993) – Judicial review, rent review
• Capital Land Holdings v Secretary of State (Lord Cullen, unreported 28 July 1995) – exercise of break option, agent and principal
• Marfield Properties v Secretary of State 1996 SLT 1244 (IH) – FRI lease, common repairs
• Homebase v Clerical Medical Investments (unpublished – Court of Session 2006) – lease – retail park – restrictive covenant

• Kirkcaldy DC v Burntisland CC 1993 SLT 753 – sale of common good land
• Lord Burton v Mackay 1995 SLT 507 – heritable title - prescription – rights of access
• SRC v Persimmon Homes 1996 SLT 176 – encroachment, roads authority land, statutory consents, waiver
• Elmford v Glasgow CC 2001 SLT 275 – land vested in roads authority – refusal of access – judicial review
• Glasgow City Council, Petitioners, Court of Session 2008 - disposal of common good land
• Hamilton v Nairn [2009] CSOH 163 Lord Glennie 9 Dec 2009 - "Verge" of public road, public right of passage and use of verge without landowner's consent.

Planning/Compulsory Purchase/Judicial Review

• Dobbies v Secretary of State 1996 GWD 22 – 1302, planning appeal under s233 of 1972 act)
• J Sainsbury plc v Secretary of State 1997 SLT 1391, planning appeal under s233 of 1972 Act
• Henderson v Argyle & Bute Council 1998 SLT 1224 – judicial review, planning permission
• Asda Stores v Secretary of State 1999 SLT 503 (IH) – judicial review, failure to call in competing applications
• Stannifer Developments v Glasgow Development Agency 1999 SC 156 (IH) – judicial review – sale of land by public body
• Elmford v Glasgow CC 2001 SLT 725 (see landownership)
• Danzan Trust v Edinburgh City Council (Lands Tribunal, 19 February 2007) compulsory purchase, disputed compensation, certificate of alternative authorised development
• Edgar Road Property Co v Moray Council [2007] CSOH 88 - judicial review, planning
• Cooperative Group (CWS) Ltd, Petitioners [2008] CSOH 28 - judicial review, planning
• Hamilton (Tullochgribban Mains) Ltd v The Highland Council [2009] CSOH 4 - review of mineral permission
• Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, Petitioners [2009] CSOH 138 Lady Clark 9 Oct 2009 - Judicial Review, supplementary planning guidance
• McGinty v Scottish Ministers [2010] CSOH 5; Judicial Review, National Planning Framework 2, adequacy of consultation process, protective order for expenses 

• Aberdeen Housing Inquiry (SMG) 2004
• Dundee Local Plan (Asda) 2004 – retail
• Inverness Local Plan Inquiry 2004 – retail and housing
• Elgin Retail Inquiry 2005
• Dunbar Retail Inquiry (Asda) April 2006
• Inverness Retail Inquiry (THC, appeal by Tesco) December 2007
• Inverness Inquiry (THC, appeal by Aldi, retail and housing) December 2007
• St Andrews Inquiry, housing, January 2009
• Inverness Inquiry (THC, call in of Asda retail proposal) February 2009
• Inverness Inquiry (THC, certificate of lawful use, retail) April 2009

Professional Negligence

• Numerous unpublished cases in fields of accounting, advertising, architectural, engineering, legal, medical, project management, surveying and valuation practice

Reparation

• Stewart v Cooper Oil Tools (Lord Coulsfield 31 Aug 1995) – deafness, establishment of liability
• Robertson’s CB v Anderson 1995 SLT 828 (IH) – loss of employability, serious head injuries
• Robertson v Forth Road Bridge Board 1995 SC 364 (IH) – liability for nervous shock to fellow worker/witness
• Robb v Salamis (M & I) 2007 SLT (HL) 71 – health and safety at work, foreseeability, suitability of work equipment
• Timms v Barclay Curle [2007] CSOH 166 – asbestosis, causation
• Wright v Stoddard International [2007] CSOH 138, 173 - asbestosis, pleural plaques, liability, causation, apportionment, damages
• Hynes v Lobnitz [2008] CSOH 67 - asbestosis, causation
• Experience in disease cases

• Coreck Maritime GmbH v Sevrybokholodflot 1994 SLT 893 – ship arrestment, immunity
• Compagine Commercial Andre SA v Bank of Scotland 2001 SC 653 shipping/banking, Hague Visby rules, freight, restitution, constructive trust
• Briggs Marine v MV Toby S & Deft Shipping (OH, 4 May 2004) – admiralty action in rem – collision of vessel
• Various unpublished cases involving disputed ownership, collisions, carriage and haulage

Valuation for Rating

• Unpublished valuation appeal committee hearings and rating appeals
• Cases involve comparison, contractors and receipts and expenditure methods of valuation.