Dr Kit Batson
Dr Kit Baston is one of the WS Society’s dedicated volunteers. This month, we spoke to Kit about her long association with the Signet Library and recent projects. Dr. Kit Baston is the author of Charles Areskine’s Library: Scottish Lawyers and Their Books at the Dawn of the Enlightenment (Leiden: Brill, 2016) as well as many other chapters and articles on the subject of the history of the book in Scotland.
Today our first group of Summer Scholars began their two week programme at the Signet Library. Maria Taciuk-Cabrolier (University of Edinburgh), Struan Macdonald (University of Dundee) and Charles Phillips (University of Edinburgh) will be researching the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and preparing a CPD presentation for lawyers working in this field. The Summer Scholars will be working alongside Sophie Mills WS and the Governance and Charities team and James Hamilton and the library team, as well as meeting members of the Society.
The Society’s Summer Scholars Programme is a competitive and well-established summer scheme for Scots law LLB and DipLP students. We look forward to working with our nine 2025 Summer Scholars!
If any Members would like to meet this year’s Summer Scholars to share insights into their careers, please contact Sophie Mills WS.
Charities and Third Sector SIG will meet on Thursday 24 July, 12.30 - 13.30 pm. They will be joined by Mark Wilson, co-founder of TrusteeConnect, to discuss 'Trustee Recruitment and Induction'. If you would like to join, please register for the Zoom meeting, here.
Our Student SIG will meet on Wednesday 30 July, 17.30 - 18.30 pm. The students will be joined by WS Member speaker: Neil Hay, Solicitor-Advocate to discuss career development. The Student SIG is open to all WS Society Student members. Register for Zoom meeting, here. If any Affiliate members are keen to join the Zoom for career development, you are welcome.
Last week our AI SIG and Book Club met and future dates will be confirmed shortly, along with dates for the History SIG and Art SIG.
Check the Special Interest Groups page for updates and register your note of interest by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.
Information is also updated here.
Craigcrook Mortification (SC001648) is an ancient charity founded in 1719 and currently governed by the Craigrook Mortification Act 1897. The charity was established by the deed of mortification of John Strachan of Craigcrook, Writer to the Signet. Craigcrook provides a yearly grant of £1,230 to men and women over the age of 60 who were born in Scotland or have resided in Scotland for not less than 10 years who appear to be in poor circumstances. John Strachan WS’s deed of mortification specifies that the charity is to be governed by two Writers to the Signet, two members of the Faculty of Advocates and nominees of the Presbytery of Edinburgh.
The Trustees meet twice per year in May and November and oversee management of the charity’s investment portfolio and land in the Craigcrook area of Edinburgh, as well as the grant administration. The WS Society’s Governance and Charities team carries out the day-to-day administration of the charity.
Craigcrook is seeking a Writer to the Signet to join the Board of Trustees. Please contact Sophie Mills WS with notes of interest or questions.
Booking is open for the Society’s Annual Dinner on Friday 14 November in the splendour of the Signet Library. The individual ticket price is £140 (plus VAT) or £1,400 (plus VAT) for a table of 10.
Or email Sarah Leask on sleask@wssociety.co.uk
The guest speaker for the dinner will be announced soon.
We are delighted to announce the introduction of a new WS member benefit.
In September, we will be introducing breakfast networking. This will be an opportunity for WS members to fellow members, in person, at the Signet Library. We plan to schedule these 8.00 am – 9.00 am on a weekday morning.
Watch this space for more information.
Contact Sarah Leask if you have any questions.
‘The Signet Library, Edinburgh’ by Patrick William Adam (1854-1929), painted in 1910 is included in an online exhibition celebrating 900 years of Edinburgh.
Patrick Adam painted the Signet Library at least six times in the Edwardian and Great War period and his works form a unique record both of the library’s decorative scheme (designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson) of the time and of the building’s life and use.
The exhibition ‘Edinburgh: A City of Contrasts and Continuity: An Exhibition to Celebrate Edinburgh900’ was curated by Martin Olu-Osagie and can be viewed below.
An exquisite acknowledgement for an exquisite setting! Colonnades at the Signet Library is delighted to announce it has recently featured in the esteemed pages of Condé Nast Traveller and BBC Good Food. We invite you to savour the unique ambiance and culinary excellence that has garnered such distinguished attention. It's a true testament to the team's dedication to providing an unforgettable experience amidst the stunning surroundings of the Signet Library.
Members are entitled to a 15% discount when dining in Colonnades.
Hamilton Palace in South Lanarkshire was once one of the premier country houses in the British Isles. This month Dr Godfrey Evans (Principal Curator of European Decorative Arts at National Museums Scotland) gave a fascinating talk, explaining and illustrating how the Dukes of Hamilton enlarged the palace and amassed their great collections of outstanding works of art, furniture, and furnishings.
Dr Evans was introduced by Dr Robert Pirrie WS, Chief Executive of The WS Society and trustee of the Virtual Hamilton Palace Trust.
We were joined on the evening by His Grace, The Duke of Hamilton, trustees of the Virtual Hamilton Palace Trust and members of the public. Thank you to all who attended.
Last week saw the return of the three Signet Library William Trotter sofas after restoration and reupholstering. The sofas date from the early 1820s and form part of a complete set of pieces acquired to furnish the Upper Hall. William Trotter was one of the greatest cabinet-makers in Scottish history – a Scottish Chippendale, whose work is prized and collected, and sets of this kind are few and far between (the Signet Library’s set is the most famous surviving Trotter commission alongside that of Paxton House). His workshops on a site now occupied by Waverley Station and the North British Hotel. Not long after the completion of the Signet Library set, Trotter served two years as Lord Provost.
The sofas were last reupholstered in the early 1960s as part of the then-new colour scheme and carpeting, and during the restoration evidence of this work and earlier reupholstering and repairs has been gathered and will be kept as documentation of the sofas long career. In their original form, they were upholstered in a pale blue silk which would usually have been obscured by a cloth cover as seen in their depiction by Thomas Shepherd in his famous 1829 engraving. For most of their lives, however, the sofas have been upholstered in leather in a variety of shades, including oxblood, the 1960s green, and the new shade.
The presence of sofas – let alone sofas large enough to accommodate five people – in a library might surprise some, but it reflects the different tradition of a Scottish lawyers’ library which were intended as places for sociability and society as well as learning and study, more comparable with the Long Library at Blenheim Palace in use and intent than academic or clerical foundations like Chetham’s Library in Manchester or the Chained Library at Hereford.
On Monday 19 May, the Society hosted a special Reception for Her Grace The Right Hon. Lady Elish Angiolini LT KC, Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and her official entourage. Jim Cormack KC WS, Deputy Keeper of the Signet, gave an address praising Lady Angiolini for her outstanding career and her many ‘firsts’ in the legal profession and beyond.
The theme of the event was ‘Law and History’ both of which are core to the life of the WS Society. We were honoured to host faith representatives, prison chaplains, law school faculty, historians, and museum curators. Among the guests were Fellow of the Society, Sir Alexander McCall Smith and Lady McCall Smith, Sheriff Principal Nigel Ross, and Lord Advocate The Right Hon. Dorothy Bain KC.
Please find photos of the evening here.
On Friday 16 May, the Society welcomed over 30 new members of different categories. 17 members attended in person along with their families and friends, at our Diet of Admission.
Deputy Keeper of the Signet, Jim Cormack KC WS conducted the ceremony. Jim commented “It was a joy to admit such a fantastic group of new members and to celebrate with them and their families and friends.”
Our new members also had the opportunity to take part in a tour of the Signet Library with Principal Researcher, James Hamilton.
We would like to say a warm welcome to all our new members.
Click here for photos of the evening.
Charities and Third Sector SIG hosted their ‘The view of the CEO - common charity board challenges' meeting this week. They were joined by guest speaker, Lucinda Godfrey, Chief Executive of ACOSVO. In July they will be joined by Mark Wilson, co-founder of TrusteeConnect, to discuss 'Trustee Recruitment and Induction'. If you would like to join, please register for the Zoom meeting, here.
This weekend, the Art SIG will meet at the Glasgow Art Club. Keep an eye on our Special Interest Groups page for updates on future meetings.
Next week, our Student SIG, have their inaugural meeting on Tuesday 3 June, at 16:30. The Student SIG is open to all WS Society Student members. Please register for the Zoom meeting, here.
The AI SIG will meet on Wednesday 25 June, 12:30 - 13:30, for their second meeting. You can register for the Zoom meeting, here.
Future Book Club and History dates will be confirmed over the next few weeks, check Special Interest Groups page for updates and register your note of interest by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.
Booking is open for the Society’s Annual Dinner on Friday 14 November in the splendour of the Signet Library. The individual ticket price is £140 (plus VAT) or £1,400 (plus VAT) for a table of 10.
Or email Sarah Leask on sleask@wssociety.co.uk
The guest speaker for the dinner will be announced soon.
Latasha Kirimbai Aff WS
Meet Latasha Kirimbai AffWS, a Junior Associate at Ashurst in the Digital Economy team and an affiliate member of the WS Society. From debating as a child to navigating the fast-paced tech law world, Latasha shares insights into a dynamic typical week and the value of the WS Society for professional growth and community in the Scottish legal sector.
The Annual Dinner of The Edinburgh Walter Scott Club held on 1 May 2025 offered a toast celebrating Walter Scott's legal roots as the son of a Writer to the Signet, tracing how his legal background informed and enriched his literary career. On the evening Dr Robert Pirrie WS was invited to respond and did so with a personal reflection on his journey from corporate lawyer to historian, revealing how his appreciation for Scott deepened after taking his role as Chief Executive of the Society.
The full speeches can be read here.
We were delighted to welcome writer and lawyer Philippe Sands KC to give the JUSTICE Scotland Human Rights Lecture at Edinburgh’s Signet Library on Tuesday evening.
Sands delivered a powerful and thought-provoking lecture entitled ‘38 Londres Street: Writing on Impunity, Pinochet and Patagonia’. Drawing from his forthcoming book, he shared reflections on justice, memory, and international law to an audience of legal professionals, academics, and human rights advocates.
Following introductory remarks from Almira Delibegovic-Broome KC, Jim Cormack KC WS (Deputy Keeper of the Signet), and Catherine Smith KC, Sands delivered a fascinating lecture diving into the rule of law, impunity and accountability on the world stage. A particularly interesting point discussed was the consequences decisions on impunity can have in allowing history to repeat itself.
Following the lecture, guests enjoyed a drinks reception and the opportunity to continue discussions sparked by the evening’s themes.
We are incredibly grateful to Philippe and all our speakers, as well as to Pinsent Masons for their continued support of the JUSTICE Scotland Human Rights Lecture.
This article was originally published on Justice's LinkedIn.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland begins with a meaningful services at the historic St Giles' Cathedral. This year the Society was represented at the service by Chief Executive, Robert Pirrie WS, David Ford WS, Stuart Lynch WS and Sophie Mills WS. It was a particular delight to attend alongside the Society’s Keeper and Lord High Commissioner, Lady Elish Angiolini who was accompanied by Purse Bearer, Tomas Murray WS.
Join us on 9 October for the WS annual joint conference with STEP for private client lawyers. The conference will be chaired by Susie Tweedie, Shepherd + Wedderburn.
This year the WS Society & STEP Scotland are excited to bring you another conference, looking at some of the key developments across the private client sector. This essential event will explore crucial and evolving areas impacting your clients, from navigating complex estate matters and tax challenges to understanding the implications of recent legislative changes and landmark court decisions. Join us to gain valuable insights, practical strategies, and connect with peers to enhance your expertise and better serve your clients in today's dynamic legal landscape.
Speakers
Susie Tweedie, Shepherd & Wedderburn (Conference Chair).
Roddy Macleod, Terra Firma Chambers.
Joseph Slane, Turcan Connell
Alexa Payet, Michelmores
Karin Shanks, PwC
Ben Roseff, PwC
John Martin, Fraser & Fraser
Morna Grandison, Law Society of Scotland
Fergus Colquhoun, Terra Firma Chambers
Sessions
Assisted Dying Panel, Discussion to include forfeiture issues
Tax Disputes
International probate
Judicial Factors (Scotland) Act 2025
Key cases from 2024 - 2025
Delegate Rates
Writer to the Signet/STEP members: £140 plus VAT
Standard rate: £170 plus VAT
Student/Trainee solicitor: £100 plus VAT
All rates include lunch and refreshments at the Signet Library.
Further information
CPD/TCPD: 3 hours (Law Society of Scotland)
The conference will be held in the Upper Library which is only accessible by stairs.
If you have any questions, please contact Sophie Mills WS.
Dr Robert Pirrie WS gave a paper in early April at a Symposium of senior academic historians held at King’s College London in memory of Professor Arthur Burns, one of the two professors who supervised Robert’s PhD. Robert’s paper was entitled Community, Church and King in Scotland, 1746-1830 in which he presented evidence of how church forms of worship, particular occasions of special national worship (thanksgiving days, fasts, special prayers), encouraged communities to see themselves as both Scottish Presbyterian and British. The Symposium was held to co-ordinate contributions to a volume of essays to be published by Boydell & Brewer in honour of Professor Burns. Robert is contributing a chapter to the book.
