Susanne Tanner QC appointed to Crown counsel role

Susanne Tanner QC has been commissioned by the Lord Advocate as Assistant Principal Crown Counsel.

Ms Tanner was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2000 and took silk in 2016. From 2019 until this year she was director of Ampersand Advocates. Her practice covers civil, criminal and regulatory matters in Scotland, as well as England where she is dual qualified as a barrister and a door tenant of Crown Office Chambers.

She served as an advocate depute from 2011 to 2014 and has continued to prosecute for the Crown on an ad hoc basis, specialising in cases involving serious sexual offences. She also holds appointments as a tribunal chair in the First-tier Tribunal, Housing & Property, and Health & Education chambers, a regulatory appointment as chair in cases involving the Scottish Social Services Council, and is a qualified arbitrator and certified mediator. 

Most recently, she has held the position of independent chair for two year-long inquiries; a survivor-led inquiry into allegations of abuse and the way in which they were handled by the City of Edinburgh Council, and a wider review to consider whether the authority’s whistleblowing and organisational culture is positive, open, safe and supportive.

“Despite rejoining Crown Office at an extremely difficult time following the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Stephen O’Rourke QC, I am looking forward to working together with the law officers and the Crown counsel team to develop ideas and practices to make a significant contribution to the prosecution service in Scotland,” said Ms Tanner, whose appointment has been planned for some time.