Faculty of Advocates elects new clerk

The Faculty of Advocates has announced that a new clerk of Faculty, Richard Pugh, has been elected in a seven-way contest.

He succeeds Dr Kirsty Hood, QC, who stepped down after four and a half years in office.

Mr Pugh graduated from Strathclyde University in 2000 and spent time in private practice as a solicitor before calling to the bar in 2008. He has a varied civil practice, the main areas being clinical negligence, personal injury and fatal accident inquiries.

He has been Standing Junior Counsel to the Advocate General for Scotland since 2015, and serves as chair of Conduct in Sport Panels for Scottish Gymnastics.

The Dean of Faculty, Gordon Jackson QC, paid tribute to Dr Hood who had done “an outstanding job” as clerk. He added: “Sometimes at an election, you see the list of candidates and you think, ‘Oh, please not this or that person.’ There was nothing of that in this election. It was an outstanding list of candidates, all of whom were very worthy of being clerk.

“However, Richard topped the poll and we give him our warmest congratulations and look forward to working with him as clerk of Faculty.”