Education & Professional Career to Date

Appointments

• Associate Writer to the Signet
• Member of the Stair Society
• Lord Reid Scholar - Faculty of Advocates (2021–2022)
• Tutor - University of Edinburgh Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Mooting Team (2021–2022)

Selected Cases

• Personal Injury

• Gardner v. Blackburn House Equestrian Centre (August 2024)

  Appeared for the pursuer in a successful 4-day proof concerning a horse-riding accident.

• Rafferty v. AXA Insurance UK Plc (January 2024)

  Appeared for the pursuer in a successful personal injury proof arising out of a road traffic accident where causation of both any injury and any damage to the pursuer's vehicle was denied by the defender.

• SL v. RL [2023] CSOH 91

  Junior counsel for the pursuer (with senior) in a successful debate regarding whether a Minute of Agreement in a divorce action precluded the pursuer from raising proceedings for damages under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

• SG v [A Local Authority] (August 2023)

  Junior counsel for the pursuer (with senior) in an action for damages arising out of historical sexual and physical abuse while resident in a children's home. The action settled for £500,000 shortly before the diet of proof

• Smith v Aviva Insurance Limited (January 2023)

  Appeared for the pursuer in a successful personal injury proof where causation was disputed following injuries sustained by a low-speed road traffic collision. The defender conceded the action after the conclusion of the pursuer's evidence.

• Jamieson v Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited (August 2022)

  Appeared for the pursuer in a successful personal injury proof where causation was disputed following injuries sustained by a low-speed road traffic collision.

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• Consumer Rights

• Portman Motors v Christie (March 2024)

  Appeared for the respondent in successfully resisting a Sheriff Appeal Court appeal against a Sheriff's decision to award expenses to a pursuer who had obtained a settlement in respect of one crave and abandoned the remainder of the action.

• Herron v Motonovo Finance Limited (January 2023)

  Appeared for the pursuer in a successful proof relating to rejection of a nine-year-old vehicle. The case involved conflicting expert evidence regarding whether a fault with the vehicle was present at the point of sale or developed afterwards.

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• Crime

• Gardiner & Anderson v. His Majesty's Advocate [2024] HCJAC 44

  Appeared as junior counsel for the first appellant in this 7-judge decision clarifying the distinction between murder and culpable homicide in art and part liability.

• Smith, Petitioner [2024] HCJAC 34

  Appeared for the petitioner in a petition to the nobile officium seeking suspension of a warrant which had not been executed.

• Moffat v. His Majesty's Advocate [2024] HCJAC 24

  Drafted the note of appeal and written submissions in a successful High Court appeal on the basis that the Sheriff had erred by not identifying which elements of a cumulo sentence were in respect of sexual offences.

• HMA v Paterson & Sweeney (March 2023)

  Crown Junior in the successful 7-week prosecution of two accused for being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin as part of serious organised crime. The first accused was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. The second accused was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.

• HMA v Hood (October 2022)

  Crown Junior in a 5-day trial for abduction, assault and rape to injury and danger of life. The accused was sentenced to an extended sentence of 25 years.

• HMA v Harley (July 2022)

  Crown Junior in the prosecution of historical sex abuse committed against multiple residents of Merkland Children's Home in the late 1970s to early 1980s.

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• Administrative Law

• GDFC Assets Limited v. Heaney [2024] UKUT 345 (AAC)

  Appeared pro bono as junior counsel for the respondent in the Upper Tribunal. This was a test case and the first case in the Upper Tribunal relating to mis-selling of green deal plans.

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• Public Law

• Brown, Petitioner [2024] CSOH 76

  Appeared for the petitioner on a pro bono basis as leading junior in a judicial review action against a grant of planning permission for a fence. It was successfully argued that the local authority had failed to have regard to their duty to uphold access rights.

• Rae, Petitioner (2) [2024] CSOH 74

  Junior counsel for the petitioner in a further judicial review action which established that a local authority had erred in law regarding the correct approach to be taken in an Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Opinion.
  
  

• Rae, Petitioner (September 2023)

  Junior counsel for the petitioner in the a successful judicial review action relating to a decision by a local authority that an environmental impact assessment was not required for the demolition of a housing estate.

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• Executry

• Barclay v. Thorntons Trustees Limited [2024] CSOH 18

  Appeared for the pursuer in a 6-day proof in the Court of Session for reduction of a will on the basis of forgery.

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• Housing

• Horne v. Slash Property Ltd [2024] UT 36

  Appeared for the appellants in an Upper Tribunal appeal relating to the fairness of a rent review clause.