Nominations for 2023/24 president elect

Philip Lafferty, Susan Murray and Sheila Webster have been nominated as 2023/24 president elect of the Law Society of Scotland.

Council members will now vote for their preferred candidate and the result will be announced at the December 2021 meeting. The successful candidate will succeed current Vice President, Murray Etherington when he takes up the role of president in May 2022.

Philip Lafferty is a partner at Clyde Defence Lawyers in Clydebank. He has been a Law Society of Scotland Council member since 2015, representing his colleagues in Campbeltown, Dumbarton, Dunoon, Oban, Rothesay and Fort William.

Susan Murray is a senior litigation solicitor with the NHS Central Legal Office and a Law Society of Scotland accredited specialist in Medical Negligence. She has been a Law Society Council member for her Edinburgh constituency colleagues since 2017, sits on the Society’s Board and is convener of its Equality and Diversity Committee.

Sheila Webster is Head of Davidson Chalmers Stewart Dispute Resolution team and sits on the Law Society Board. Sheila has been a Law Society Council member for Edinburgh since 2017.

Law Society President, Ken Dalling, said, “I am extremely pleased to congratulate Philip Lafferty, Susan Murray and Sheila Webster on their nominations as 2023/24 president elect; and I know that Murray will be delighted to have the support of any of these candidates when he takes up his presidential reigns next May.

“Philip, Susan and Sheila all demonstrate a keen appreciation of the issues facing the Scottish legal profession, not least the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and the Scottish Government’s Legal Services Regulation reform.

“I know that that their fellow Council members will have a difficult decision to make when they come to cast their votes for our next vice president.

“Whatever the outcome, I would like to thank Philip, Susan and Sheila for standing and for their contributions to date. I look forward to working with them in the future as we continue to support our members and protect the public interest.”

The new as 2023/24 president elect will be confirmed at the Society’s December Council meeting. Current Vice President, Murray Etherington will become president in May 2022 and current President, Ken Dalling, will move into the role of immediate past president at the same time.

Find out more about the role of the president, vice president, Council and Board.