New Arnot Manderson Silk makes Crown Office Switch

Ruth Charteris QC

Arnot Manderson Advocates welcomes the news that stable member Ruth Charteris has been appointed Queens Counsel.  This brings the number of Senior Counsel in Scotland’s full service stable to eleven.  In a busy news day the stable is also pleased to announce that Ruth will join Crown office as an Advocate Depute.

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 nominations to the First Minister, 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.

Ruth is currently the Second Standing Junior to the Scottish Government, a role she will now resign.  Ruth was first appointed as a Scottish Government Standing Junior in 2012 before advancing to the role of Second Standing Junior in 2016.  Her new role with Crown Office will not be unfamiliar having served as an Ad Hoc Advocate Depute from 2010 to 2016.  Ruth has also served as a Legally Qualified Chair at the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) from 2017 to present.

Ruth specialises in the areas of Public Law, Professional Negligence and Personal Injury.  She is regularly instructed in difficult high value Negligence cases and is considered an expert in complex and high profile Public Law cases.

Practice Manager Andrew Sutherland commented “We are delighted to see Ruth recognised in this way.  Taking silk is a well deserved accolade and everyone at the stable is extremely proud.  Ruth has an enviable civil practice but it is the Criminal courts of Scotland who now stand to benefit from her considerable skill and experience and we wish her all the best with that appointment”.