Our Advocates

Year of Call: 1992
Devil Masters: Ian R. Abercrombie Q.C.; Sheriff Thomas Welsh Q.C.
Qualifications: LL.B University of Dundee; Dip. L.P. University of Dundee


Biography:

Peter Hammond is a member of Terra Firma Chambers. Prior to calling at the Bar, he was a solicitor in private practice. He has extensive experience in a wide range of civil litigation and criminal proceedings before the Scottish Courts. He has also appeared in arbitration proceedings, and in proceedings before various tribunals such as Employment Tribunals, local Licensing Boards, the Traffic Commissioner, the Criminal Injuries Appeals Panel, Courts Martial, and University Courts in disciplinary proceedings.

Peter served as a Temporary Sheriff in 1998-99, and was appointed  a Part Time Sheriff in 2008.

Peter served as an Advocate Depute from 2004 to 2007, prosecuting serious crime in the High Court such as murder, rape, child abuse, extortion, kidnapping, robbery, drugs, fire-raising and statutory offences relating to road traffic deaths, firearms offences and financial crime.

His principal areas of practice include Fraud (civil and criminal), Financial and other Regulatory Crime, Professional Negligence; Commercial and Property law.

He has been involved, for both prosecution and defence, in complex and high value criminal cases with a fraud or other financial element; such as Serious Fraud, Embezzlement, Tax/VAT evasion (including EU carousel “Missing Trader” fraud), offences under the Bankruptcy legislation, and large scale Smuggling and Counterfeiting cases. His interest in this area has led to his instruction in a number of civil cases with a fraud or related nature, such as testamentary fraud, mortgage fraud, fraudulent accounts in business acquisitions, insurance fraud and disqualification of Company Directors. He has worked extensively with forensic accountants in this area of practice.

He has regularly advised in cases of Medical Negligence, and in Professional Negligence cases relating to e.g. solicitors, chartered accountants, surveyors and insurance brokers.

He has represented employers and employees at Employment Tribunals, and in the Court of Session in relation to restrictive covenants. He also has experience of arbitration proceedings in relation to e.g. pipeline wayleaves, crop damage, partnership dissolution and landlord and tenant disputes.

He participates as a trainer in a joint Faculty of Advocates/Royal College of Paediatrics programme to train expert medical witnesses in the skills of preparing for and giving evidence in court.

Peter has given talks to local groups of solicitors on topics such as “Current Issues in Employment Law” and “The instruction of Expert Witnesses”.

Peter’s personal interests include golf, squash and hillwalking.


Membership:

Faculty of Advocates Criminal Bar Association.

Publications:

• Case reporter for Scots Law Times 1991-1999
• “Parliament House Portraits : The Art Collection of the Faculty of Advocates” by C Sutherland (contributor) (1999)