Profile: Brian Wood

What motivated you to study law?

Both my father and my grandfather were sole practitioner solicitors and my father was also a very keen Territorial Army officer from the time he left school. I excelled myself in the sciences in the common entrance exams and so was guided towards a scientific career, but during my time in the combined cadet force at school I went on a gunnery course. I discovered that the major in charge had a law degree and he explained that if army personnel didn’t make that rank by a certain age, they were out high and dry, so he had earned his law degree should his career in the services not go to plan. I saw the sense in that and from then on was intent on studying law and joining the army if I didn’t do well. I did a three year compressed degree, which was really designed for ex-service people, but there were a lot of interesting people on it, including James Mackay, who I sat beside for three years, before he went on to become the Lord Chancellor. I finished up becoming a lawyer and have been one ever since.

Tell us about your career?

I’ve had quite a varied and haphazard career. I was working in Edinburgh when I got a phone call from my father’s secretary to say that he had taken ill and ask if I could help with a trial he was due to conduct. I got on the train to Kirkcaldy, successfully carried out my first trial and stayed working in my father’s practice from then on. I then began doing some prosecution work in the police courts before legal aid came along. At that time, I think you got £20 a year for representing people who couldn't afford to pay. If you got saddled with an important or serious case, you got the grant in aid. That became the pattern of my working life – prosecuting in the police court and defending in the sheriff court – at least until legal aid came along, and then things really changed considerably. Nobody else wanted to do criminal legal aid, so for two years I was almost continuously duty agent before other people cottoned on that there was money in it.

I also did notary public work, which in those days was quite interesting. We had a lot of ships coming into the harbour, which regularly wanted to do protests if the ship was delayed, the cargo had gone off or there had been a fight on board the ship. I would trundle down with my protocol book and take a declaration or record the evidence of what happened on the ship.

The ships would come from Russia or Latvia, among other places, and they would all have interpreters, which would allow me to record my protocols in English.

When the Industrial Relations Act passed, I became chairman of industrial tribunals for five years, but I gave that up when my father died and I went back to run the office full time. My two brothers joined me and we ran the firm together.

When we began conveyancing, we got involved acting for developers and practice changed dramatically at that stage. I also retrained in agricultural law and became a farmer’s lawyer.

Over the years I did a lot of corporate work. I was director of one substantial firm and secretary to two others, and I did some consultancy work on inheritance law.

I introduced the concept of divorce to a number of communities, which caused quite a bit of trouble! I once had a man and once a woman in my office pleading with me not to do divorce – not to mention the soon to be divorced husband who pitched up outside my office in a Landrover with a shotgun aimed in my direction – I stayed indoors! 

I was also appointed an honorary sheriff and still am. So I’ve had a long, interesting and varied career spanning huge sociological changes.

What have been the most significant changes affecting the profession since you started?

The abolition of the feudal system had a huge impact. While we worked under the feudal system, I don’t think we really understood its complexities until it began to be dismantled.

Also, nobody could have anticipated the explosion of crime. There used to be one criminal summary court once a fortnight in Kirkcaldy, whereas now the courts sit all day every day in two or three courts – the scale of the changes is incredible.

What motivated you to become a Fellow of the Law Society of Scotland?

When I retired I wanted to find a way of maintaining my interest in the law and developments within the legal profession. I have been involved in the Society’s Council and committees in the past, but I don’t have the time to commit to these now, so Fellow membership is a good way to keep up to date, keep receiving the Journal, keep attending the annual conference and keep in touch.

If you could ensure one change for the future of the profession, what would that be?

I think the biggest and most important change would be to get legal aid properly established. Justice really does depend on having properly re-established legal aid representation. If you don't have that, society is at risk.

What keeps you busy outside of your interest in the law?

I have a keen interest in current affairs, enjoy reading, spending time with my family and looking after my garden.

Find out more about the Fellow membership on the Law Society of Scotland website at www.lawscot.org.uk/fellow