Two solicitor advocates among nine new QCs
Seven advocates and two solicitor advocates have been appointed Queen’s Counsel in Scotland.
The new appointees are Una Doherty, advocate; Bruce Erroch, advocate; Jane Farquharson, advocate; Ruth Innes, advocate; Vinit Khurana, advocate; Ronaldo Renucci, advocate; Andrew Webster, advocate; James Cormack, solicitor advocate; and Richard Goddard, solicitor advocate.
The appointments, by the Queen on the recommendation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, follow nominations by 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.
Independent observer Jessica Burns, who has issued a report on the application process, states that 22 advocates and four solicitor advocates applied this year, slightly down on the two previous years. Seven women and 19 men applied. As in the previous year, applications were considered by a panel of seven senators.
Her report states: "In this round just over one third of those applying have been recommended for appointment, nine out of 26. This number compares somewhat less favourably with the last two rounds of appointments where in 2017, 29 applied with 14 recommended for appointment and in 2016, 31 applied with 13 recommended.
"I am satisfied that the criteria for appointment in the current year have been amply met whilst still reflecting a degree of diversity. For instance, women represented 22% of all applicants but 30% of those recommended for appointment. Two solicitor advocates have been recommended for appointment and this also represents an increase from the single solicitor advocate recommended in each of the past two years."
She concludes: "I am satisfied from my observations and discussions that the process was conducted following an established, proportionate and well understood procedure."