SUSAN FERRIER — SCOTLAND'S JANE AUSTEN

“She is as worthy as Scott, Conan Doyle and Stevenson of a place in the pantheon of Scottish letters.”

Long celebrated in her lifetime with a readership that rivalled even her English contemporaries, the brilliant 19th-century novelist Susan Ferrier captured the social comedy, manners, and eccentricities of Scottish life with razor-sharp wit and immense grace. In our latest feature, we explore the enduring legacy of this remarkable literary pioneer — whose father, James Ferrier, was a Writer to the Signet — and look at why her vivid, satirical portraits of society and reflections on women’s education continue to resonate just as powerfully today.

AUTUMN DIET OF ADMISSION

2026 has been an exceptionally vibrant year for membership recruitment, reflecting the enduring strength, relevance, and prestige of our professional community.

So far this year, we have warmly welcomed 67 new members into the Society — a milestone that underscores our continued growth and dynamic reach. Among these new additions are 21 Writers to the Signet, representing the highest standards of legal excellence, leadership, and professional integrity.

The Value of Belonging

Membership in the WS Society is far more than a professional credential; it is an invitation into a rich, supportive network steeped in centuries of legal heritage while firmly focused on the future. In an increasingly complex professional landscape, our members benefit from unique opportunities for collegiality, cross-sector collaboration, and continuous development. Whether utilising our magnificent spaces in the Signet Library, engaging in special interest groups, or participating in high-level discourse, WS membership connects individuals to a proud tradition of excellence in law.

Looking Ahead: The Autumn Diet of Admission

As we celebrate this year's impressive intake, we look forward to gathering once more to induct our newest colleagues.

We are delighted to invite members, new inductees, and their families to join us for our upcoming Autumn Diet of Admission on Thursday 12 November, 5.30 pm. This traditional ceremony is always a highlight of the Society's calendar — offering a wonderful opportunity to celebrate professional achievement surrounded by loved ones and peers.

All members and guests are warmly welcomed to attend this special occasion and help us celebrate the continued growth of the Society.

Please email Sophie Mills WS if you have any questions.

CAROLS AT THE SIGNET LIBRARY

Join us this festive season, on 11 December, 6 pm for an enchanting evening of timeless carols and seasonal warmth.

This year, we are honoured to feature the magnificent Borders Chamber Choir, performing under the expert musical direction of Robert Marshall WS.

Keep an eye on your inbox for booking details. We look forward to celebrating with you!

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

SPORTS LAW

Our Sports Law Conference returns on Thursday 22 October 2026, celebrating the theme Scotland’s Big Year of Sport. We are delighted to welcome back some of the sport sector's most respected legal and governance leaders to the Signet Library in Edinburgh for this popular event in the Society's education programme.

Join, among others, Gill Treasurer, Director of Legal and Governance at The British & Irish Lions, and Angela McCracken, Head of Legal for the Commonwealth Games 2026, as they reflect on a landmark year for Scottish sport.

PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE

The PNLA and WS Society have partnered to host a joint conference on Professional Negligence Law, designed to address the latest issues for professional negligence litigators in Scotland. The keynote address will be given by Lord Ericht WS. The conference will be jointly chaired by Ashley Jones WS of Burness Paull and Tim Edward WS of BTO. Join us on 29 October 2026 for a full day conference.

SESSION TOPICS

• Regulation of the Scottish Legal Profession 

• The Comino Properties Ltd v DHKK Ltd decision 

•  Considering the Resolution of Professional Negligence cases 

• Professional Liability and the Rise of AI, from the Perspective of English Law 

• Professional Indemnity Insurance – Claims & Risk Management 

• The Defender’s Perspective 

• Professional Negligence & Liability Update 

• The Daily Mail Phone Hacking Trial & ATE – What Happens when it all goes wrong!

• Accounting/audit negligence litigation, damages and quantification 

• Professional Negligence Hot topics

DON WAUCHOPE’S LIBRARY

The Don-Wauchope Donation: the private law library of a leading family in Scots Law.

The Signet Library has received from the Don-Wauchope family the magnificent donation of about 100 historic law books dating from the eighteenth century or earlier and once professionally used by the Wauchope dynasty of Scots lawyers. The books have travelled to the Signet Library from Canada and are in superb original condition. The collection will undergo a process of cataloguing, cleaning and conservation before going on permanent display at the Signet Library.

Because Scotland is a Roman Law jurisdiction, this country on the very northern edge of Europe nevertheless has a legal memory that stretches beyond the Mediterranean into North Africa, and back more than two thousand years. The books, a rich mix of the best Roman Law of the early Enlightenment, Scots legal thinking under the Georgians and a spread of law reporting and legislation from both north and south of the Tweed, reflect this.

The collection presents the rare opportunity to study and analyse the library of a dynasty of Georgian lawyers. Members of the different branches of the Don and Wauchope families have graced the Writers to the Signet, the Faculty of Advocates and the Scottish Bench since the seventeenth century, and there is much to be learned about the thinking and practice of the time from a surviving library of this kind.

IN THEIR WORDS

Great events do not end when the room clears or the livestream fades; they continue to echo in the conversations, reflections, and shared pride of being a Writer to the Signet.

Whether standing among historic halls steeped in tradition or collaborating on the pressing conversations shaping our future, our members experience these milestones in richly diverse ways.

From personal reflections on tradition and institutional change to the simple magic of being surrounded by brilliant minds, here is what our members have been saying about our recent events, told in their own words.

Katrina Lumsdaine WS, Helen Logan WS, Jim Cormack KC WS, Kim Leslie WS, Robert Pirrie WS and Kelly Hardman WS

On the opening of the legal year…

A real pinch-me moment today😊

Sitting in Court 1 at the opening of the legal year ceremony in Parliament House (Edinburgh), I was surrounded by some of the most brilliant minds in our profession and I felt incredibly privileged to be there representing both Fragomen and The WS Society💗It was also particularly special to stand there as a girl in the legal profession and to see so many brilliant women in the room👩‍⚖️
 
Lord Pentland's reflections on the unprecedented demands facing our courts and tribunals felt especially relevant - His emphasis on ensuring that our institutions remain effective, resilient and able to respond to changing needs resonates with so much of our work at Fragomen; helping people and businesses navigate complexity, advocating for systems that are accessible and fit for purpose, and contributing to the wider conversation about Scotland’s future. My warmest congrats to all the newly appointed KCs and Honorary KCs - It was a privilege to share in such a significant moment!🥂⚖️
 
It always amuses me that the pomp and pageantry of some of our oldest traditions provide such a spectacle for tourists, but it is incredibly special to be part of these moments. I felt enormously proud today: proud of myself, my profession, our legal heritage and proud to represent organisations that mean so much to me.✨

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It was a real privilege to be able to represent the Society. It’s important to pause to consider the year which lies ahead and to do so in such grand style was humbling.  

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The start of the legal year. A moment to pause and reflect on the work of the last year and the challenges that lie ahead. One thing that unites this community is that we are all here to serve and be of service . The WS Society is an integral part of this legal community. This morning was a brief chance to step away from the inbox, listen to our Lord President and re connect with our Why.

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On the appointment on new Senators…

Lady O’Neil WS and Kelly Hardman WS

It was a real honour to represent Fragomen and The WS Society in joining a packed Court 1 last Friday for Lady O’Neill’s swearing-in as a Senator of the College of Justice at Edinburgh's Court of Session.

The courtroom was filled with such a strong sense of admiration, pride and support for her; It was a proud and historic moment for Scotland’s legal profession, and on a personal level, incredibly inspiring to see another exceptional woman take her place on the bench...Representation matters, and moments like this show us what is possible🎓👩‍⚖️

Many congratulations to Lady O’Neill on this thoroughly deserved appointment - I felt very proud and privileged to be there!

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The Society’s Autumn Reception…

Thank you to the WS Society for a wonderful evening reception at The Signet Library to mark the start of the Legal Year 2026/2027. Wonderful to see so many colleagues!

AUTUMN RECEPTION

As the buzz of the Fringe dies down and Edinburgh evenings transition into crisp autumn, we invite our members to gather for an evening of warmth, fine company, and relaxed conversation at our upcoming Autumn Reception on Thursday 24 September, 6 pm - 8 pm.

Step away from the desk and into the magnificent surroundings of the Signet Library. This is a wonderful opportunity to unwind with fellow members over a glass of something refreshing in an informal, welcoming setting.

Members are warmly encouraged to bring along a colleague or friend who is not yet a member. It is the perfect occasion to introduce them to the historic architecture of our building and give them a taste of the active, engaging tradition we share.

ANNUAL DINNER 2026

“A lovely evening and a setting of effortless grandeur.”

Booking is open for the Society’s Annual Dinner on Friday 13 November. Individual tickets are £175 and tables £1,750. Prices are ex VAT. Demand is high so early booking recommended!

We are delighted that our guest speaker will be The Right Honourable Lord Reed, President of the UK Supreme Court.  

For further information, please contact membership@wssociety.co.uk.

CORINTHIAN CAPITALS CAUSE BANKRUPCY

We are delighted to share that the Signet Library featured in the first episode of the BBC's documentary series, A House Through Time.

A House Through Time is a critically acclaimed BBC television documentary series presented by historian Professor David Olusoga. The premise of the show is to use a single residential building as a lens through which to explore broader social, economic, and national history. In episode one of Series 6 Professor Olusoga explores a home in Edinburgh. One of the house residents, carver and guilder, John Steell, wins a large commission to create the intricate carvings (known as corinthian capitals) which sit atop the colonnades of our library — but it becomes a feature of a crisis that would overwhelm him.

This national feature provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Society's rich history and the enduring significance of the Signet Library to audiences across the UK.

SIG ROUND UP

THE HOME OF WALTER SCOTT

At the beginning of August, members of the Society History SIG along with friends and family enjoyed a visit to Sir Walter Scott’s house at Abbotsford hosted by the Chief Executive of Abbotsford, Giles Ingram, assisted by Jill Paterson, Claudia Bolling and Abbotsford’s superb volunteer guides. The group were given a full tour of the house itself, including Sir Walter Scott’s famous library and study, as well as enjoying a special bonus tour of areas of the house usually off limits to visitors.

Perhaps the greatest highlight of the tour was a private exhibition of two Walter Scott manucripts – The Lay of the Last Minstrel (with key excerpts beautifully read by Giles Ingram) and the Signet Library’s own The Eve of St. John which has been on display in Scott’s Library at Abbotsford since the spring as part of their exhibition about Scott’s wife Charlotte Charpentier. Many members stayed for lunch afterwards at the magnificent Abbotsford visitor centre and made new friends whilst catching up with old ones. The visit is part of a new and ongoing collaborative relationship between the WS Society and the Abbotsford Trust.

One member commented “Spent a lovely morning at Abbotsford courtesy of the WS Society - not only a beautiful property with an interesting history, but our private tour included getting to see an original manuscript of Sir Walter Scott’s. As a former bookseller and current book enthusiast I was in my element! Thank you for arranging such a great event - looking forward to the next one! PS if any of my contacts are heading to Abbotsford themselves, ask for Nancy as your guide! She’s wonderful.”

To join the next outing, sign up to the group’s mailing list by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.

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UPCOMING MEETINGS

ART

The Art SIG is pleased to invite members and guests to a private house tour of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece, Windy Hill in Kilmacolm.

This event will take place on Sunday 30 August, 2 pm – 4 pm at Windy Hill, Rowantreehill Rd, Kilmacolm PA13 4PE.

This rare opportunity offers an intimate look at the home, a guided walkthrough of the owner's private collection of original fine art, and the chance to hear stories about the efforts to reclaim original Mackintosh fixtures. The afternoon will conclude with an art tête-à-tête featuring sparkling wine and confections.

Please RSVP directly to Valerie Paterson WS at valerie.paterson@googlemail.com.

PERFORMING ARTS

The Society is thrilled to launch our new Performing Arts Special Interest Group, open to all members. Designed to celebrate Edinburgh's vibrant cultural scene, the group will host a curated calendar of theatre, musical, and arts outings featuring a relaxed social element for networking and catching up.

Join us for our inaugural outing to the Usher Hall on Friday 2 October 2026 for the RSNO’s Shostakovich Five — featuring a powerful programme led by conductor Patrick Hahn and violist Lawrence Power.

Join the group’s mailing list by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.

BOOK CLUB

Our Book Club’s next book is Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen. The international bestseller described by the Telegraph as “[Franzen’s] best novel yet – A Middlemarch-like triumph.”

Join us online on Tuesday 13 October, 6.00 - 7.00 pm and sign up to the group’s mailing list by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.

BUILDING A POWERFUL NETWORK

An important feature of membership of the WS Society is the opportunity to share and learn with one another. To increase the opportunities to do this, we’re introducing a Lightning Talk series of lunchtime online sessions — an ideal time to meet and engage online.

To launch the series, Kim Leslie WS will share her tips on ‘How to Build a Powerful Network’ on Wednesday 16 September, 12.30 – 1.30 pm.

Open to our members in all categories, we warmly encourage you to attend.

WS AUTUMN CPD

PRIVATE CLIENT

The WS Society and STEP Scotland are delighted to present the STEP/WS Private Client Conference 2026, taking place on 30 September at the Signet Library, Edinburgh. Bringing together leading practitioners from across the profession, this popular annual event will provide a practical and insightful update on the latest developments affecting private client lawyers and their clients.

This year's programme will explore a range of topical issues, including pre-nuptial agreements, the new inheritance tax residency rules and their impact on internationally mobile clients, succession law, pensions in estate and wealth planning, and the most significant private client cases from 2025-26. Delegates will benefit from expert-led presentations and panel discussions designed to provide valuable guidance for practice in an evolving legal and regulatory landscape.

With 3 hours of CPD/TCPD, the conference also offers an excellent opportunity to connect with peers and hear from some of the sector's leading voices. We look forward to welcoming members for another engaging and informative event.

All rates include lunch and refreshments at the Signet Library.

SPORTS LAW

Co-chairs Gillian Treasurer and Angela McCracken

The WS Sports Law Conference returns on Thursday, 22 October 2026, celebrating the theme Scotland’s Big Year of Sport. We are delighted to welcome back some of the sport sector's most respected legal and governance leaders to the Signet Library in Edinburgh for this popular event in the Society's education programme.

Join, among others, Gill Treasurer, Director of Legal and Governance at The British & Irish Lions, and Angela McCracken, Head of Legal for the Commonwealth Games 2026, as they reflect on a landmark year for Scottish sport.

PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE

Co-chairs Ashley Jones WS and Tim Edwards WS

The PNLA and WS Society have partnered to host a joint conference on Professional Negligence Law, designed to address the latest issues for professional negligence litigators in Scotland. The keynote address will be given by Lord Ericht WS. The conference will be jointly chaired by Ashley Jones WS of Burness Paull and Tim Edward WS of BTO. Join us on 29 October 2026 for a full day conference.

NINE NEW WS SCHOLARS

The final week of August marked the conclusion of the WS Summer Scholar Programme 2026. We were delighted to welcome nine students over the course of the summer, who together delivered three outstanding CPD events showcasing their research into critical contemporary issues within the Scottish legal system. Throughout their projects, the scholars were supported by the Society’s executive team and had the opportunity to meet with eleven members of the Society, whose insights helped to enrich their research.

SCOTLAND’S ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STRATEGY 2026-31

Pictured: Angus Gibson (University of Glasgow), Maria Macfie (Abertay University) and Oumer Tariq (University of Stirling).

Our final group of scholars focused their research on Scotland’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026-31. Their report examined the Strategy’s legal implications in three areas: the environment, intellectual property and liability for AI-related harm. It assesses whether Scotland’s existing legal framework is capable of managing the opportunities and risks created by AI.

An excerpt from their report can be read below:

A key issue concerns the use of copyrighted material to train AI models. Developers may scrape large quantities of creative content, while rights holders may argue that this involves unauthorised copying. The uncertainty is illustrated by Getty Images v Stability AI, where Getty was unable to establish that the Stable Diffusion model itself constituted an infringing copy of its images. The German courts adopted a different approach in GEMA v OpenAI, finding that the reproduction of protected song lyrics by OpenAI’s models constituted infringement.

PROTECTING VICTIMS & WITNESSES

Pictured: Amina Shahid (Glasgow Caledonian University), Emma Gilmour (University of Glasgow) and Elise Douglas (University of Edinburgh).

Our first group of scholars focused their research on the protection of vulnerable witnesses. Their report provides a timely examination of the reforms introduced by the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, exploring how these legislative changes are reshaping court procedures and the support available to those engaging with the justice system.

An excerpt from their report can be read below:

Rape Crisis Scotland has welcomed the creation of the specialist court, arguing that it has the potential to improve the experiences of survivors of sexual violence, many of whom have expressed dissatisfaction with the existing court process.

"At the court…it’s as if you’re invisible, or you don’t matter." — Participant 7

In support of this position, Rape Crisis Scotland points to the successful operation of a comparable specialist court in New Zealand, where dedicated judges and the increased use of special measures have contributed to a more trauma-informed approach to hearing evidence.

In contrast, the Law Society of Scotland has criticised the establishment of the specialist Sexual Offences Court as a matter of principle. It argues that creating a specialist court risks causing unnecessary complexity in the judicial system and has expressed concerns about the potential impact on the efficiency and administration of criminal proceedings.

POLICE ETHICS, CONDUCT & SCRUTINY

Pictured: Lucy Gallacher (University of Glasgow), Peter Fairhurst (University of Dundee) and William Boagey (University of Aberdeen).

Our second group examined the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025, seeking to answer the question: To what extent do a duty of candour and a code of ethics change the culture of Police Scotland?

Their report offers a thoughtful analysis of this significant legislative reform, considering its potential impact on police accountability, professional standards and public confidence in policing, alongside the evolving framework for oversight and scrutiny in Scotland.

An excerpt from their report can be read below:

The year is 1819, and The Broom Scandal has no sooner swept through the City of Edinburgh then it is swept under the rug. Established under the Edinburgh Police Act of 1805, city constables were respected members of the mercantile class, selected for integrity, and fairness.

Until an independent annual audit by the Cleansing Committee stumbled upon a fraudulent scheme. A barred police sergeant, Forsyth, had conspired with the Principal Police Clerk to create phantom bills for brooms. Over a six-year period, the force allegedly purchased 169,572 brooms, the equivalent of £100,640.08 of today's money, at the public's expense.

The 1819 Broom Scandal is the first example of institutional misconduct in new Scottish policing. Two centuries later, as we approach the fourteenth anniversary of Police Scotland, the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 ("PECS"), addresses the same institutional weaknesses by embedding ethical policing standards in law and strengthening independent scrutiny.

William recalls his time at the Society fondly: “Delighted to have spent two fantastic weeks as a Summer Scholar with the Society in Edinburgh. Together, we produced and delivered a digital CPD presentation for external delegates before publishing our accompanying written report. From the outset, I wanted to make the most of the Society's world-class historical archive to explore the deeper context behind contemporary legal reform. Along the way, my research took me from the Hillsborough disaster to the Domesday Book, from the Broom Scandal of 1819 to the death mask of Sir Walter Scott. The scheme was a unique opportunity to combine rigorous legal analysis with creative multimedia storytelling.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Applications for our next batch of Summer Scholars will open in April 2027.

2026 ONLINE EXHIBITION

We are delighted to launch our 2026 online exhibition: ‘THE DESIGN AND DECORATION OF THE PALACE OF BOKES: THE FIRST CENTURY 1812-1908’.

The exhibition had its origins in the December 2024 rediscovery of a vital cache of 1812 drawings by the Signet Library’s architect of genius William Stark.

Stark had just taken over the design project for the Library from Robert Reid, and the building shell he inherited posed two major problems: how to get daylight into the space, and how to design in the magnificence and convenience Stark felt a major library should possess.

The exhibition discusses these drawings in relation to surviving letters and minutes from the building project. The second part of the exhibition tells the story of the beginnings of the Signet Library art collection and how the Society turned a staircase and lobby into one of the first truly public arenas for art. The third and final part of the exhibition tells the story for the first time of how the magnificent Signet Library interiors were decorated, focussing on a unique and remarkable series of paintings of the Library by the great Scottish artist of interiors Patrick William Adam.

Appealing to those interested in history, architecture and interior design, this exhibition has something for everyone!

With thanks to our Research Principal James Hamilton and his team including Jo Hockey and Dr Kit Baston.

BORDERS MUSIC FESTIVAL

“Ten days of world-class choral, folk, jazz and orchestral music in the heart of the Scottish Borders”

On behalf of Robert Marshall WS, we are sharing that the Borders Music Festival has officially rebranded and launched its new look! With a public press launch coming up in early August, the team has been hard at work preparing an incredible line-up.

The festival features fantastic international talent, alongside four inspiring educational projects and exciting new funding support.

You can explore the newly launched website and discover the full programme here: Borders Music Festival.

Please feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested or who would love to support the arts in the Borders!

We look forward to welcoming some of these internationally talented musicians to the Signet Library in December for our Festive concert. More details to follow soon.

SIG ROUND UP

BOOK CLUB

Our Book Club’s August Book is The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd. Described as “a masterpiece of nature writing”  and “the finest book ever written on nature and landscape in Britain” it describes the author’s journeys into the Cairngorm mountains.

Join us online on Tuesday 25 August, 6.00 - 7.00 pm and sign up to the group’s mailing list by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.

PERFORMING ARTS

The WS Society is thrilled to launch our new Performing Arts Special Interest Group, open to all members. Designed to celebrate Edinburgh's vibrant cultural scene, the group will host a curated calendar of theatre, musical, and arts outings featuring a relaxed social element for networking and catching up.

Join us for our inaugural outing to the Usher Hall on Friday 2 October 2026 for the RSNO’s Shostakovich Five — featuring a powerful programme led by conductor Patrick Hahn and violist Lawrence Power.

Join the group’s mailing list by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.

ACADEMIC CONFERENCE LAUNCHED

The Signet Library was delighted to host the launch of a joint conference last week on Catalogues and Registers as Evidence in the History of Mathematics, Science, and Technology in collaboration with SIGMA, IASH, the Edinburgh Bibliographical Society and the University of Edinburgh.

Delegates were welcomed by conference organiser J.P. Asher and Research Principal James Hamilton before being given a tour of the Library which ended in an exhibition drawn from Signet Library collections on the early history of the organization of human knowledge through library catalogues.

Library catalogues were among the first and most important efforts to find ways to bring order to the entire span of human knowledge. In this, the Signet Library played an important role, producing in 1805 the first real classified catalogue of a major British collection and with its later catalogues guiding Thomas Carlyle in the building of the London Library. The 1805 catalogue took its origins from the famous early catalogue of French scholar Jacques-Auguste de Thou, the Catalogus bibliothecæ Thuanæ of 1679 (a book with de Thou’s original pre-1587 armorial binding was on show) and the exhibition showed this influence passing through Scottish catalogues such as that of Writer to the Signet James Anderson (d. 1728) and the Duke of Argyll (printed privately in 1758). Also on display were bookseller’s catalogues from the seventeenth and eighteenth century and some early catalogues of some of the small private libraries that were once such a feature of Scottish rural life.

AUTUMN CPD

PRIVATE CLIENT

The WS Society and STEP Scotland are delighted to present the STEP/WS Private Client Conference 2026, taking place on 30 September at the Signet Library, Edinburgh. Bringing together leading practitioners from across the profession, this popular annual event will provide a practical and insightful update on the latest developments affecting private client lawyers and their clients.

This year's programme will explore a range of topical issues, including pre-nuptial agreements, the new inheritance tax residency rules and their impact on internationally mobile clients, succession law, pensions in estate and wealth planning, and the most significant private client cases from 2025-26. Delegates will benefit from expert-led presentations and panel discussions designed to provide valuable guidance for practice in an evolving legal and regulatory landscape.

With 3 hours of CPD/TCPD, the conference also offers an excellent opportunity to connect with peers and hear from some of the sector's leading voices. We look forward to welcoming members for another engaging and informative event.

All rates include lunch and refreshments at the Signet Library.

SPORTS LAW

Co-chairs Gillian Treasurer and Angela McCracken

The WS Society is delighted to share the save the date for the Sports Law conference we will be hosting at the Signet Library on the 22 October 2026. The conference will be co-chaired by Gillian Treasurer, Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and Angela McCracken, Lions Rugby.

More details to follow!

PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE

Co-chairs Ashley Jones WS and Tim Edwards WS

The PNLA and WS Society have partnered to host a joint conference on Professional Negligence Law, designed to address the latest issues for professional negligence litigators in Scotland. The keynote address will be given by Lord Ericht WS. The conference will be jointly chaired by Ashley Jones WS of Burness Paull and Tim Edward WS of BTO. Join us on 29 October 2026 for a full day conference.

SUMMER SCHOLARS

This summer, we have been delighted to welcome so-far two of our three groups of Summer Scholars, who are undertaking dedicated research into critical contemporary issues within the Scottish legal system. Drawing on a combination of online resources, legislative materials and the Signet Library's archives, the scholars have been guided throughout their projects by the Society’s executive team.

PROTECTING VICTIMS & WITNESSES

Pictured: Amina Shahid (Glasgow Caledonian University), Emma Gilmour (University of Glasgow) and Elise Douglas (University of Edinburgh).

Our first group of scholars focused their research on the protection of vulnerable witnesses. Their report provides a timely examination of the reforms introduced by the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, exploring how these legislative changes are reshaping court procedures and the support available to those engaging with the justice system.

An excerpt from their report can be read below:

Rape Crisis Scotland has welcomed the creation of the specialist court, arguing that it has the potential to improve the experiences of survivors of sexual violence, many of whom have expressed dissatisfaction with the existing court process.

"At the court…it’s as if you’re invisible, or you don’t matter." — Participant 7

In support of this position, Rape Crisis Scotland points to the successful operation of a comparable specialist court in New Zealand, where dedicated judges and the increased use of special measures have contributed to a more trauma-informed approach to hearing evidence.

In contrast, the Law Society of Scotland has criticised the establishment of the specialist Sexual Offences Court as a matter of principle. It argues that creating a specialist court risks causing unnecessary complexity in the judicial system and has expressed concerns about the potential impact on the efficiency and administration of criminal proceedings.

POLICE ETHICS, CONDUCT & SCRUTINY

Pictured: Lucy Gallacher (University of Glasgow), Peter Fairhurst (University of Dundee) and William Boagey (University of Aberdeen).

Our second group examined the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025, seeking to answer the question: To what extent do a duty of candour and a code of ethics change the culture of Police Scotland?

Their report offers a thoughtful analysis of this significant legislative reform, considering its potential impact on police accountability, professional standards and public confidence in policing, alongside the evolving framework for oversight and scrutiny in Scotland.

An excerpt from their report can be read below:

The year is 1819, and The Broom Scandal has no sooner swept through the City of Edinburgh then it is swept under the rug. Established under the Edinburgh Police Act of 1805, city constables were respected members of the mercantile class, selected for integrity, and fairness.

Until an independent annual audit by the Cleansing Committee stumbled upon a fraudulent scheme. A barred police sergeant, Forsyth, had conspired with the Principal Police Clerk to create phantom bills for brooms. Over a six-year period, the force allegedly purchased 169,572 brooms, the equivalent of £100,640.08 of today's money, at the public's expense.

The 1819 Broom Scandal is the first example of institutional misconduct in new Scottish policing. Two centuries later, as we approach the fourteenth anniversary of Police Scotland, the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 ("PECS"), addresses the same institutional weaknesses by embedding ethical policing standards in law and strengthening independent scrutiny.

LOOKING AHEAD

We warmly invite all WS members and colleagues to join us for the presentation by our final group of Summer Scholars, giving attendees the opportunity to support their work and engage with their research findings.

The online presentation will take place on Thursday 20 August at 2.00 pm and will provide valuable insight into another critical contemporary issue within the Scottish legal system. Attendance will count as one hour of CPD.

To register your interest, please contact Cady Shearsmith at cshearsmith@wssociety.co.uk.

ANNUAL DINNER 2026

“A lovely evening and a setting of effortless grandeur.”

Booking is now open for the Society’s Annual Dinner on Friday 13 November. Individual tickets are £175 and tables £1,750. Prices are ex VAT. Demand is high so early booking recommended!

We are delighted that our guest speaker will be The Right Honourable Lord Reed, President of the UK Supreme Court.  

For further information, please contact membership@wssociety.co.uk.