| Mr David Buchanan-Cook Head of Oversight Scottish Legal Complaints Commission As Head of Oversight, David is responsible for the area of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission which oversees the way in which the Law Society and the Faculty of Advocates deal with conduct complaints – similar to the role previously undertaken by the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman. More widely, Oversight is also responsible for using insight from trends analysis of complaints data to inform the profession through outreach work and to publish guidance for both practitioners and the consumers of legal services. David is the Commission’s representative on the SLCC’s Consumer Panel which was established in January 2015 to promote the interests of legal consumers, particularly vulnerable clients. He also has a regular column which appears in the Journal. Prior to working for the SLCC David held a variety of investigation-based roles in both the public and private sectors. These include: Compliance Manager at the Scottish Legal Aid Board; Senior Investigator for National Australia Bank; Forensic Accountant for KPMG; and Fraud Risk Manager for Tesco Bank. David was also for some years a Law Society Reporter and Client Care Committee member. In his spare time David is a keen gardener, the conductor of an Edinburgh-based a cappella group and a composer of choral music. | |
| Laura Dunlop QC Hastie Stable Laura Dunlop graduated in law from Edinburgh University, and qualified as a solicitor in 1986. She was a children’s reporter for two years and called to the Bar on the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille. Before becoming a QC in 2002, Laura was a Standing Junior Counsel to the government in Scotland. Since 2005, she has appeared in a range of mental health appeals, representing individuals and the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland. She has represented parties at public inquiries, including Dunblane and the Fraser Inquiry into the cost of the Scottish Parliament and holds office as Procurator to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Laura was Senior Counsel to the Penrose Inquiry (2009 – 15) into the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C by blood and blood products. Between November 2009 and December 2014, she also served as a part-time Law Commissioner, responsible for a project addressing protection of the right to liberty of adults with incapacity. The report was published on 1 October 2014. Laura has also been a co-editor of three editions of Gloag and Henderson, The Law of Scotland and convener of an appeal body relating to qualifications for general medical practice. | |
| Alan Eccles Partner Brodies LLP Alan work covers three main areas: charities, private client and parliamentary matters. Much of Alan's practice involves advising on charity law. Alan assists charities, individuals and corporates on charity law, social enterprise (including charities engaged in trading and projects such as renewables), CSR, governance training and philanthropy. Alan's private client work covers estate planning including wills, executries, trusts and inheritance tax. He is the author of the Scotland chapter in the textbook International Succession. As part of his private client advice Alan often advises on incapacity law (powers of attorney, court appointed guardianship and other methods of managing the affairs of those less able to do so). This has involved acting in some of the leading Sottish cases on incapacity law and estate and succession planning. A regular commentator on incapacity law matters, Alan's written work has been referred to in judicial decision making. Of Alan's private client work, the Legal 500 notes that he "conveys complicated legal concepts with clarity and humour". | |
| Moira Healy Social Work Officer The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland Moira qualified as a social worker in 1984 and became an accredited MHO in 1995. In 2005 she joined the Mental Welfare Commission as a Social Work Officer. Moira has recently co-written good practice guidance on Common Problems with Powers of Attorney and has a particular interest in working with older people. | |
| Alison Hempsey Associate T.C. Young LLP Alison Hempsey has worked with TC Young since 2006 and is a well-respected and knowledgeable associate within the Private Client team. Alison has a varied workload including the preparation of Wills and Powers of Attorney, the administration of estates and trusts, Inheritance Tax planning and Adults with Incapacity matters. She gives clients sensitive and pragmatic advice on these personal issues to best reflect the clients own wishes and circumstances. Working closely with Adrian Ward, Alison has a particular interest in Adult Incapacity matters. She is a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Mental Health and Disability sub-committee. Her work in this area includes applying for Financial & Welfare Guardianship and Intervention Orders, as well as providing general advice to families and carers of adults with incapacity, including set up of family trusts. Alison regularly processes AWI actions through the sheriff courts and conducts her own court appearances. She also advises clients on the Access to Funds scheme. She is also a member of STEP Scotland, having completed the STEP Diploma in 2011. | |
| Russell Hunter Legal Secretary The Mental Health Tribunal Russell Hunter is a solicitor who has worked in private practice and the public sector. He is solicitor to the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland. Russell is also a part time Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber). | |
| David Lee David Lee launched the Law & Legal Affairs section of The Scotsman in
2003 and edited the pages until 2009. He later returned to edit the section on
a freelance basis after leaving the paper to set up his own business. | |
| Sandra McDonald The Public Guardian Office of the Public Guardian The Public Guardian is responsible for assuring the protection of adults with mental incapacity. Sandra heads the Office of the Public Guardian which employs 70 staff, is located in Falkirk but has a Scotland wide remit. Sandra trained as a nurse and worked for five years as a Sister on an intensive care unit before moving to a management role in the NHS where she managed a number of services before changing direction in to the legal field. Combining her NHS and legal knowledge, Sandra became an in-house legal advisor to an NHS Trust, as well as leading their clinical claims portfolio. Sandra has been Public Guardian for Scotland since 2004; the combination of management, law and nursing makes Sandra ideally suited for this role. | |
| Colin McKay Chief Executive Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland Colin took up the post of Chief Executive of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland in April 2014. He worked in Scottish Government for 14 years, including 4 years working on mental health law reform, first as secretary to the Millan Committee, and then as Bill manager for the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. He also worked in Government on justice, strategy and public service reform. Previously he was a solicitor, and spent 10 years with ENABLE Scotland, where he led campaigning and policy work, established the ENABLE Trustee Service, and served as a Mental Welfare Commissioner for 2 years. He has a particular interest in the interface of law, care and ethics. | |
| Dr Gary Morrison Executive Director (Medical) The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland Gary Morrison is medical director at the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. Previously he was a consultant in old age psychiatry, national clinical lead for dementia with the Scottish Government and clinical advisor to the older people in acute care programme at Healthcare Improvement Scotland. | |
| Stephen Parker Head of Financial Planning Tilney Bestinvest Stephen Parker heads up the Financial Planning services in the West of Scotland. He has been a financial planner for more than 2 decades and is one of only 2,000 UK Financial Planners to be Chartered. Chartered Financial Planners have qualified to the highest level of technical excellence. He has vast experience across the whole wealth management spectrum working with both personal clients and those appointed by the Court. Clients benefit from an on-going service and his areas of expertise include: lifestyle modelling, guardianships, personal injury trusts, retirement and pensions planning, taxation of investments, estate planning and tax planning. Outside of work, Stephen enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children and is a keen road cyclist. | |
| Michelle Pratley 39 Essex Chambers Michelle Pratley is a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers. Her areas of particular expertise are mental capacity and mental health, education and community care. Michelle appears frequently in the Court of Protection in England and Wales and is often instructed in complex disputes by local authorities, health bodies, family members and the Official Solicitor. She has acted in a wide range of welfare proceedings, including disputes over deprivation of liberty, forced marriage, residence, care and contact. Michelle has also appeared in a number of cases involving serious medical treatment and applications for the appointment of a deputy for property and affairs. She is recommended by Chambers & Partners (2015) as a leading junior in the field of Court of Protection: “Excellent, a voice of calm in troubled waters, who produces incredibly impressive advocacy and written work.” Michelle started her career as a solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney, where she helped to establish the Human Rights Law Group, and has also worked at the Australian Human Rights Commission. She has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Law from the University of Cambridge. She was called to the bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 2006. | |
| Professor Jill Stavert Professor Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Incapacity Law, Rights and Policy Jill is a Professor and the Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Incapacity Law, Rights and Policy, at Edinburgh Napier University with an expertise in mental health and incapacity law and human rights from a national and international perspective. In addition to her research and teaching she regularly publishes and presents at conferences and seminars and works with a number of public, statutory and charitable bodies in the field. | |
| Maureen Thom Dementia Engagement Manager Alzheimer Scotland Maureen joined Alzheimer Scotland as Information Manager in 2004, where she was responsible for the charity's website, helpline and publications, including an information pack on money and legal matters for people with dementia and their partners and families. She was part of the team at Alzheimer Scotland who developed the Charter of Rights for People with Dementia and their Carers in Scotland and contributed to the development of Scotland's first national Dementia Strategy. In April 2015, she moved to a new role in the charity’s corporate fundraising team as Dementia Engagement Manager where her role includes developing a legacy information pack. | |
| Jan Todd South Lanarkshire Council Jan Todd is a Legal Services Adviser at South Lanarkshire Council and has 18 years of experience in the field of community care law, specialising in advice to Social Work including areas such as financial assessments for care home fees; contracts; mental health; self directed support, and ordinary residence. Jan was involved in the Rhoda Yule case against South Lanarkshire Council. She is the chair of the Solar Community Care Group . Jan is also a convener of mental health tribunals and a member of the Law Society's Committee for Mental Health and Disability. | |
