Ten new Queen's Counsel named

Ten new Queen’s Counsel have been appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The new appointees are: Alasdair Burnet, advocate; Ruth Charteris, advocate; James Dawson, advocate; Amber Galbraith, advocate; Lisa Gillespie, advocate; John MacGregor, advocate; Kevin McCallum, advocate; Paul O’Brien, advocate; Barry Smith, advocate; and Christine O’Neill, solicitor advocate.

Applications are made to the Lord Justice General, who consults other judges, the Lord Advocate, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and the President of the Law Society of Scotland before making nominations to the First Minister.

The independent observer of the process, Jessica Burns, has provided the First Minster with a separate report on her findings.