Voting now open for west Scotland and new lawyers Council seats

Voting for representatives on the Law Society of Scotland's Council is now open for solicitors in much of the west of Scotland, and for newly qualified and trainee solicitors.

Of the two contested geographical constituency elections, one is taking place in the seat covering the sheriff court districts of Greenock, Kilmarnock and Paisley, where Paisley court lawyers Waqqas Ashraf and Mark Ralston are competing for the vote. In the other, for two solicitors to represent the districts of Campeltown, Dumbarton, Dunoon, Fort William, Oban and Rothesay, three candidates have put themselves forward – Philip Lafferty of Clydebank and Campbell Read from Campbeltown, who have previously represented the constituency, and Jennifer Royston, whose varied career includes human rights work abroad but who now works with Argyll & Bute Council.

No poll is necessary for a number of other seats:

• Alloa, Falkirk and Stirling, where current members Ken Dalling and John Mulholland are returned unopposed;
• Arbroath, Dundee and Forfar, where current member Murray Etherington was the sole nominee;
• the Highland and Islands area, which continues to be represented by Sheekha Saha but one seat will fall vacant;
• Duns, Haddington, Jedburgh, Peebles and Selkirk, where current member Patricia Thom will be joined by Struan Ferguson of Blackwood & Smith, Peebles;
• and the seat for Scottish solicitors based in England & Wales, whose member remains Naomi Pryde.

No fewer than 11 candidates are contesting the seat reserved for new lawyers (those up to five years qualified, along with trainee solicitors): Marrya Bashir, Emma Crilley, Amanda Davy, Sean Dorrian, Leanne Hammell, Michael Kusznir, Ahsan Mustafa, Tom Richard, Kirsteen Ritchie, Jennifer Sillars and Leisha Watson. This is the first time the new lawyers' seat has been opened to a poll of eligible members, though formally the candidate has to be put forward by the Society's Nominations Committee.

Click here to access personal statements from all candidates in the contested elections.