Skip to content
Law Society of Scotland
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
  • For members

    • For members

    • CPD & Training

    • Membership and fees

    • Rules and guidance

    • Regulation and compliance

    • Journal

    • Business support

    • Career growth

    • Member benefits

    • Professional support

    • Lawscot Wellbeing

    • Lawscot Sustainability

  • News and events

    • News and events

    • Law Society news

    • Blogs & opinions

    • CPD & Training

    • Events

  • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying as a Scottish solicitor

    • Career support and advice

    • Our work with schools

    • Lawscot Foundation

    • Funding your education

    • Social mobility

  • Research and policy

    • Research and policy

    • Research

    • Influencing the law and policy

    • Equality and diversity

    • Our international work

    • Legal Services Review

    • Meet the Policy team

  • For the public

    • For the public

    • What solicitors can do for you

    • Making a complaint

    • Client protection

    • Find a Solicitor

    • Frequently asked questions

    • Your Scottish solicitor

  • About us

    • About us

    • Contact us

    • Who we are

    • Our strategy, reports and plans

    • Help and advice

    • Our standards

    • Work with us

    • Our logo and branding

    • Equality and diversity

  1. Home
  2. News and events
  3. Legal news
  4. Human rights lawyer becomes Edinburgh rector

Human rights lawyer becomes Edinburgh rector

8th February 2021 | careers

Human rights lawyer Debora Kayembe has been elected unopposed as the 54th rector of the University of Edinburgh.

She takes up the post on 1 March, succeeding Ann Henderson and becoming the university's third woman rector as well as the first person of colour.

The rector presides over the university’s governing body, the university court, and has also become a voice through which members of the university community can raise difficulties or issues.

Ms Kayembe was called to the Congolese Bar Association in 2000, and has been a member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting from 2010-2020. She came to the UK as a refugee and after being admitted to the Law Society of Scotland, has lived in Scotland since 2011. In 2016 she joined the language services of the office of the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court and the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA).

She served as Scottish Refugee Council board member from 2013-16. She also joined the Royal Society of Edinburgh/Young Academy of Scotland representing refugee minorities, and has a seat as an expert lawyer to the RSE Working Group for Africa. In 2017 she founded the charity Full Options.

In 2019 she became the first African to have her portrait erected at the wall of the Royal Society, to honour her achievements and contributions.

Last year Ms Kayembe launched the Freedom Walk campaign, a civil rights movement which aims to lobby and campaign on behalf of citizens by promoting social reforms, racial justice and community harmony. She is also petitioning the Scottish Parliament in favour of anti-racist education in Scotland.

 

Add To Favorites

Additional

  • News and events

In this section

  • Law Society news
  • CPD & Training
  • Blogs & opinions
  • Events
  • 75th Anniversary

Categories

  • civil litigation
  • criminal law
  • employment
  • obituary
  • careers
  • practice management
  • law society of scotland
  • government-administration
  • welfare/benefits
  • family-child law
  • reparation
  • professional regulation
  • property (non-commercial)
  • insolvency
  • consumer
  • human rights
  • mental health-adult incapacity
  • planning/environment
  • europe
  • information technology
  • immigration
  • education-training
  • executries
  • corporate
  • commercial property
  • agriculture-crofting
  • dispute resolution
  • risk management
  • intellectual property
  • client relations
  • tax
  • licensing
  • banking-financial services
  • trusts-asset management
  • reviews
  • opinion
  • For the public
  • Research and policy
  • Regulation
  • Journal online news
  • interview

News Archive

  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013

Related articles

  • Four appointed to Sheriff Appeal Court
  • Kenneth Norrie to retire from Strathclyde University
  • Thorntons hires Inverness team to set up new office
  • Academics and practitioners to take Strathclyde chairs
Law Society of Scotland
Atria One, 144 Morrison Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EX
If you’re looking for a solicitor, visit FindaSolicitor.scot
T: +44(0) 131 226 7411
E: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
About us
  • Contact us
  • Who we are
  • Strategy reports plans
  • Help and advice
  • Our standards
  • Work with us
Useful links
  • Find a Solicitor
  • Sign in
  • CPD & Training
  • Rules and guidance
  • Website terms and conditions
Law Society of Scotland | © 2025
Made by Gecko Agency Limited