Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Public & Fatal Accident Inquiries - Scotland (Bar)
What the Team is Known For
Ampersand Advocates continues to be a dominant player in the Scottish inquiries space. The stable offers unparalleled bench strength across seniorities, from rising star juniors to distinguished silks. The advocates have tested their mettle on several of the highest-profile mandates in recent history, including both the UK and Scottish COVID-19 inquiries, the UK Infected Blood Inquiry and the El-Jamel and Tayside Health Board Inquiry. Ampersand Advocates' broader public and administrative law and clinical negligence pedigree ensures that all representations are backed up by market-leading expertise. In addition to public inquiries, members are also instructed as leading counsel on independent investigations and reviews and fatal accident inquiries. One source notes: "The advocates at this stable have exceptional skills that set them apart. They are diligent, pragmatic and have outstanding advocacy skills." Clients of the stable include the Scottish Government, the Scottish Prison Service, NHS bodies and health boards, police constabularies and bereaved parties.
Alan Moffat is the advocates' clerk.
Strengths
There is always a clerk available. They are super helpful, and everything is picked up immediately. They are very well organised and understand what their solicitors are looking for.
The clerks are extremely responsive and helpful.
The set's excellent clerks are led by advocates' clerk Alan Moffat, who is my go-to clerk.
Notable practitioners
Fiona Drysdale KC has hit the ground sprinting since taking silk in 2023. She has been instructed on several high-profile mandates for core participants. She is widely recognised for her prowess in the clinical negligence field.
Fiona Drysdale is a very experienced senior counsel who regularly delivers high-quality work for the Scottish Government. She is approachable and enthusiastic and has great attention to detail.
Fiona is very dedicated and conscientious.
She is a pleasure to work with.
Geoffrey Mitchell KC earns acclaim for his representation of key parties in high-profile inquiries, and he also specialises in public and administrative law. He is a Special Counsel to the Lord Justice General.
Geoff is clear in his advice and presents submissions well.
He is hard-working, knowledgeable and understands the needs of clients. He has been of great assistance in navigating complex and sensitive matters.
Geoff is able to lead the team in a way where everyone wants to be there, even in a high-pressure, difficult environment. He is a calming influence.
Geoff's written work is technically excellent and perfectly pitched. His advocacy skills allow him to address complex issues in simple terms and with empathy.
He has very strong written and oral advocacy skills and is a sophisticated strategic leader.
Isla Davie KC has established herself as a go-to choice of first counsel for high-profile or particularly complex fatal accident inquiries, where she is routinely instructed on behalf of both the Crown and affected parties. Most recently, she acted as Senior Counsel in a conjoined fatal accident inquiry into two deaths at Polmont Young Offenders Institution.
Isla is incredibly personable and straightforward. She is also impressive on her feet in court. She is very experienced in clinical negligence work.
Isla is excellent. She is experienced and persuasive in a subtle, non-aggressive and smart way.
Jamie Dawson KC accepts leading instructions in high-profile public inquiries. He garners praise for his appointment as Senior Counsel to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, leading the Scottish 2A Module. He has also acted for core Scottish participants in the UK Infected Blood Inquiry.
He is instructed in the biggest inquiries in Scotland.
Jamie is brilliant on his feet.
Jennifer Nicholson-White is a leading choice of junior for public inquiry work. She has experience acting on high-profile instructions. She is a popular choice of counsel for the Scottish Government Legal Directorate, having been appointed as a Standing Junior in 2022. She draws strength from her broader experience handling complex clinical negligence and personal injury claims.
Jennifer is one of our go-to counsel to deal with challenging cases and high-priority instructions.
Jenny has been great to work with. She has provided support and advice on a range of issues, often in very short timescales.
Lisa Henderson KC earns national acclaim for her sophisticated clinical negligence and catastrophic injury claims practices. She draws aptly on this background to advise clients on high-stakes public and fatal accident inquiries. Lisa is a qualified to practise in England and Wales.
Paul Reid KC is a go-to choice of counsel for the Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service. He draws on deep expertise to adeptly represent his clients in fatal accident inquiries, often concerning prison deaths. Since taking silk in 2023, Reid has continued to go from strength to strength. Recently, he was instructed to represent one of the most important clinical experts in the UK Infected Blood Inquiry.
Meticulous and fiercely intelligent, Paul is a superb advocate who you would always want in your corner.
Paul is an outstanding advocate who is clear in his advice, good with clients and a pleasure to work with.
He's always ready to approach cases in a pragmatic way, and clients love him. He has an understated style on his feet. He is well prepared and knows arguments inside out.
Simon Bowie KC is a distinguished senior practitioner at the Scottish Bar. He has vast experience of acting in high-profile public inquiries. In recent years, he has been instructed on both the UK and Scottish COVID-19 Inquiries and the Infected Blood Inquiry. Alongside his busy inquiry work, Bowie is a leading defender in personal injury and clinical negligence cases.
Simon makes the impossible seem effortless. He is unflappable, approachable and just generally excellent.
A problem solver, Simon finds solutions and has an extraordinary capacity to cut to the core issues.
Simon is very polished in his advocacy skills.
Susanne Tanner KC has an impressive inquiries practice. She has appeared on several of the highest-profile mandates in recent years, including the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. In addition to her counsel work, Tanner accepts appointments as independent chair and review lead. She has deep expertise in matters concerning whistle-blowers. She is also qualified as a barrister in England and Wales.
Susanne is one of the top practitioners. She is extremely bright and very personable.
Una Doherty KC is a distinguished silk in the personal injury and clinical negligence field, and is regularly instructed by the NHS Central Legal Office. Recently, she has represented core participants in several high-profile inquiries, including the the UK and Scottish COVID-19 Inquiries and the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry.
Una is a very experienced advocate with a wealth of experience.
Ayla Iridag has rapidly risen to become a distinguished junior in this space. She primarily practises in the health and safety and public and administrative law spaces, but has also gained a strong reputation for inquiry work. Her representation of NHS bodies and government authorities in fatal accident inquiries has earned her plaudits from the market. Prior to being called to the Bar, Iridag worked as a solicitor at a leading international law firm.
Ayla is adept at distilling large volumes of information into clear advice for clients, focusing minds on the best approach and taking into account any wider policy considerations.
A strong performer, Ayla is easy to instruct and incisive in court.
She has a good understanding of tactics and is excellent on paperwork. She is a very confident performer who has the ear of the court.
Michael Way is recognised as an up-and-coming force in the Scottish inquiry space. He punches well above his call, having been instructed on several of the highest-profile mandates in recent years, including both the UK and Scottish COVID-19 Inquiries. His broader practice consists of work in a broad range of civil, commercial and public law areas, such as immigration and real estate litigation.
Michael is enthusiastic, all over the detail and produces great quality work within tight deadlines.
He is well organised, thorough and industrious.
Shane Dundas is viewed as a rising star. He draws on his expertise in complex clinical negligence cases to act in a varied selection of high-profile fatal accident inquiries. Most recently, he was instructed as junior counsel in the conjoined inquiry into the death of Katie Allen and William Brown, who died by suicide in Polmont Young Offenders Institution.
Shane is an exceptionally thorough counsel. His work on high-value and complex clinical negligence cases is invaluable.
He has an incredible attention to detail, and his advocacy is of the highest standard.
Shane is wickedly clever, but he has a unique ability to provide advice that is extremely straightforward. He is very well liked by clients because he gives the advice in such a clear way.
Shane is extremely thorough and good at dealing with the most difficult cases.
James McConnell KC is a highly regarded silk who regularly appears for Scottish NHS bodies and health boards in fatal accident inquiries and public inquiries with medical aspects. He has appeared on several headline mandates, including both the UK and Scottish COVID-19 Inquiries, acting for NHS National Services Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
James is an exceptional advocate to work with. His attention to detail is considerable, and his advocacy skills second to none.
He is excellent to work with. He's very thorough, with very good attention to detail, and he is very easy to work with.
First-class counsel.
