Skip to content
Law Society of Scotland
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
  • For members

    • For members

    • CPD & Training

    • Membership and fees

    • Rules and guidance

    • Regulation and compliance

    • Journal

    • Business support

    • Career growth

    • Member benefits

    • Professional support

    • Lawscot Wellbeing

    • Lawscot Sustainability

  • News and events

    • News and events

    • Law Society news

    • Blogs & opinions

    • CPD & Training

    • Events

  • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying as a Scottish solicitor

    • Career support and advice

    • Our work with schools

    • Lawscot Foundation

    • Funding your education

    • Social mobility

  • Research and policy

    • Research and policy

    • Research

    • Influencing the law and policy

    • Equality and diversity

    • Our international work

    • Legal Services Review

    • Meet the Policy team

  • For the public

    • For the public

    • What solicitors can do for you

    • Making a complaint

    • Client protection

    • Find a Solicitor

    • Frequently asked questions

    • Your Scottish solicitor

  • About us

    • About us

    • Contact us

    • Who we are

    • Our strategy, reports and plans

    • Help and advice

    • Our standards

    • Work with us

    • Our logo and branding

    • Equality and diversity

  1. Home
  2. News and events
  3. Legal news
  4. New advocates call in Parliament Hall ceremony

New advocates call in Parliament Hall ceremony

29th May 2020 | careers

New members have been welcomed to the Faculty of Advocates, at a unique calling ceremony in Parliament Hall.

With social distancing paramount, the ceremony was held twice, with a tranche of eight intrants on each occasion. With numbers kept to the bare minimum, the event was streamed live to allow those unable to attend to view it. The intrants stood at proper intervals across the hall where they were addressed by Dean of Faculty Gordon Jackson QC before taking the declaration of allegiance before Lord Arthurson.

Normally the first part of the ceremony would take place in the Faculty's reading room, and the second in one of the Court of Session courtrooms. Today's ceremony recalled the days when courts convened in alcoves of Parliament Hall itself.

Those admitted to Faculty today were: Andrew Crosbie, Christopher Miller, Valentina Mori, Elaine Russell, Charles Ferguson, Adam Black, Laura Anne Radcliffe, Kenneth Cloggie, Antonia Welsh, Melanie Barbour, Carla Fraser, Charles Oliver, Cameron Smith, Dominic Scullion, Jonathan Kiddie and Robert Hovey.

They join fellow 2019-20 devil, David Taylor, who was admitted at an earlier ceremony. Another nine devils are due to call next month.

Welcoming the new members, Mr Jackson said: "These are not normal times and today’s has not been the normal ceremony. However, very much the silver lining of that cloud is the fact we are using the magnificent Parliament Hall. Every calling ceremony is special for those involved, but today’s has considerable historic significance… and you will be able to tell generations to come: ‘I was there.’"

Lord Arthurson said the achievement of the public office of advocate was a hard-earned and laudable one.

"You have all worked hard. Each of you has an exceptional set of skills. Enjoy the moment", he told those admitted.

"We live in strange and testing times… But what these present days have taught us, inside the law and outside, is the desirability of being flexible. In your own role as counsel that will mean being creative in your delivery of a consistently high quality, professional service to the public and the court. So, be prepared to change your mode of presentation, even may I say to the extent perhaps of shortening the length of your submissions, and to review your own presumptions of what court work looks like and indeed how justice, which does not change, is delivered."

Add To Favorites

Additional

  • News and events

In this section

  • Law Society news
  • CPD & Training
  • Blogs & opinions
  • Events
  • 75th Anniversary

Categories

  • civil litigation
  • criminal law
  • employment
  • obituary
  • careers
  • practice management
  • law society of scotland
  • government-administration
  • welfare/benefits
  • family-child law
  • reparation
  • professional regulation
  • property (non-commercial)
  • insolvency
  • consumer
  • human rights
  • mental health-adult incapacity
  • planning/environment
  • europe
  • information technology
  • immigration
  • education-training
  • executries
  • corporate
  • commercial property
  • agriculture-crofting
  • dispute resolution
  • risk management
  • intellectual property
  • client relations
  • tax
  • licensing
  • banking-financial services
  • trusts-asset management
  • reviews
  • opinion
  • For the public
  • Research and policy
  • Regulation
  • Journal online news
  • interview

News Archive

  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013

Related articles

  • Four appointed to Sheriff Appeal Court
  • Kenneth Norrie to retire from Strathclyde University
  • Thorntons hires Inverness team to set up new office
  • Academics and practitioners to take Strathclyde chairs
Law Society of Scotland
Atria One, 144 Morrison Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EX
If you’re looking for a solicitor, visit FindaSolicitor.scot
T: +44(0) 131 226 7411
E: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
About us
  • Contact us
  • Who we are
  • Strategy reports plans
  • Help and advice
  • Our standards
  • Work with us
Useful links
  • Find a Solicitor
  • Sign in
  • CPD & Training
  • Rules and guidance
  • Website terms and conditions
Law Society of Scotland | © 2025
Made by Gecko Agency Limited