Sarah called to the Scottish bar in 2022, having called to the bar in Ontario, Canada in 2003. Her principal areas of experience and interest are criminal law, public law, and personal injury, including clinical negligence.

Since calling to the Scottish bar, Sarah has appeared regularly in the High Court and the Court of Session, as well as the Sheriff Court and Sheriff Appeal Court on a variety of civil and criminal matters.

In her civil practice Sarah has been instructed in a variety of personal injury claims including historic child abuse claims and clinical negligence claims for both pursuers and defenders. She has also gained experience in judicial reviews in the areas of education law and prison law. She is currently instructed as junior counsel to a core participant in the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry.

In her criminal practice Sarah has been instructed in criminal trials, sentence and conviction appeals, as well as extradition hearings and appeals. She has also appeared as an ad hoc AD in trials and appeals against sentence. She was instructed as junior counsel to the Respondent in Lord Advocate’s Reference No. 1 of 2023.

Sarah spent 15 years practicing as a barrister and solicitor in Ontario, Canada in criminal, regulatory, and public law. She has a wealth of experience in written and oral advocacy and appeared for many years as both junior and sole counsel in the superior and appellate courts in Ontario. To qualify in Scotland Sarah completed the Faculty’s examinations in Scots law. She brings together her many years of experience and perspective from Canada with her more recent study and practice experience in Scotland.