Gary Allan KC has practised as a lawyer for thirty three years, having served his apprenticeship in Scotland’s foremost commercial solicitors’ practice in Glasgow and Edinburgh before becoming an assistant and then a partner in a leading litigation practice in Glasgow. There his experience in both civil and criminal court matters provided a solid foundation for his call to the Bar in 1994. He was appointed King’s Counsel in 2007.
At the Bar he has practised mostly in the field of criminal law and has acted successfully for the defence in numerous serious, complex, sensitive and high profile cases. He has acquired a reputation as being amongst the leading practitioners at the Bar. In addition to his main skills in matters such as murder and rape cases, Gary has acquired well merited recognition for his expertise in white collar, regulatory, business and financial crime including Proceeds of Crime issues and issues arising under the Bribery Act.
He served as a Senior Advocate Depute in the Crown Office between 2007 and 2011. As well as prosecuting in the High Court and in the Court of Criminal Appeal, he was appointed Crown Counsel with responsibility for advising the COPFS Health and Safety Division. He offered opinions, advised and marked (i.e. decided whether prosecution should follow ) in most of the fatal and serious cases reported for possible prosecution.
He has represented a wide range of accused including public and local authorities and agencies, public limited companies, private companies, directors, unincorporated bodies, partners, managers and other individuals.
He has appeared for the defence in courts martial.
He has been involved in various capacities in a wide range of Fatal Accident Inquiries including the Lockerbie Air Crash Inquiry and matters arising in the oil and gas sector.
He has defended and prosecuted cases before a wide range of disciplinary and other tribunals, including those governing teachers, doctors, pharmacists, accountants, solicitors, dentists, police officers, prison officers, nurses, and farriers.
He has significant experience of appearing before employment tribunals, both for employer and employee.
He has represented individuals and sporting clubs before the disciplinary tribunals of their sporting bodies.
Donald R Findlay KC is widely recognised throughout the UK for his unrivalled experience in the criminal courts. In more than 40 years of practice he has acquired an almost unique level of knowledge and understanding of Forensic Medicine and Science as it applies to Criminal and other cases and is consulted on these matters by solicitors from all over the UK.
For a number of years he has Lectured at Glasgow University to the Students of the Diploma in Forensic Medicine and is now a course examiner.
In addition he has frequently represented professional persons before disciplinary bodies and those appearing before VAT and other Tribunals.
He has appeared before Sport related Tribunals in the UK and abroad and has also sat on such Tribunals.
He is held in particular regard for his absolute commitment to every case.
Since calling Lorraine has been extensively instructed as sole counsel in a wide variety of criminal trials, including attempted murder, fraud, computer crime, indecent images and misuse of drugs but with a particular emphasis on cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct, rape and allegations of historical sexual abuse.
Lorraine called to the Bar in 2005 after 12 years experience in private practice and as a prosecutor where latterly she served as Head of the Child and Vulnerable Witness Unit in Glasgow.
Lorraine’s practice includes Children’s Hearing Referrals dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct and significant physical injuries to children, including so called “shaken baby” cases. She has also been instructed in Fatal Accident Inquiries including deaths in custody and deaths where criminal homicide was suspected.
Lorraine is also instructed as junior counsel to a number of eminent senior counsel in numerous high profile prosecutions for murder, fraud, drugs and money laundering.
Until his appointment as Chairman of Faculty Services Ltd., Tony Graham K.C. was our Stable Director for over a decade, and represented the Stable and its members on the Board of Faculty’s service company. He has also previously served a number of terms on the committee of The Scottish Criminal Bar Association.
Tony Graham K.C. practices almost exclusively in the High Court of Justiciary, defending those indicted there. Since calling in 2002 he has consistently enjoyed one of the busiest High Court practices of the Criminal Bar.
Tony has been instructed to lead in High Court trials since the week he called. He estimates having been instructed in more than 1,500 High Court indictments, and having conducted in excess of 600 High Court trials.
He was appointed to the rank and dignity of King’s Counsel in 2017 having been regarded as “Senior Junior” Counsel for a number of years. In the years prior to taking silk and since, he has been routinely instructed to lead Junior Counsel in cases of such significance as to merit the employment of both Senior and Junior Counsel. He has been lead Counsel in all manner of trials where the charge is of the utmost seriousness, including around 75 murder trials, trials with allegations of Serious and Organised Crime and, in general terms, trials involving violence, armed robbery, sexual offences, drugs offences and firearms offences that are considered at the most serious and complicated end of their own category. Additionally, he has been lead Counsel in appeal cases, including a full bench appeal where the law of evidence relating to video recordings was reformed, and also in successfully opposing an application by the Crown made under Double Jeopardy legislation. He has appeared before Court-Martials, The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, The Judicial Committee of The General Assembly of The Church of Scotland and has been involved in extradition cases, one proceeding to the House of Lords.
In relation to those prosecuted in the lower courts, Tony is regularly instructed in relation to regulatory criminal offences, road traffic prosecutions and has acted regularly for those employed in public service industries, the armed forces and professions.
As an Advocate Depute ad hoc (part time High Court prosecutor) he has prosecuted crimes involving significant violence, sexual offences, robbery, firearms offences, and drugs. He has also been specifically trained by Crown Office in relation to the prosecution of sexual offences.
In respect of his media law practice, he has been instructed over many years by publishers of national newspapers and press agencies, providing both pre-publication advice and in dealing with post publication issues of defamation and contempt of court.
Apart from ongoing professional development relating to Criminal Law, Tony has an interest in medicine, engineering and science, and ensures his knowledge of forensic medicine and science, psychiatry, physics and engineering are such as to be able to effectively examine and cross examine any expert witness who may be called to give evidence.
His understanding of matters scientific and medical, and of engineering coupled with his experience in defending those charged with murder, other criminal homicides and crimes with medical consequences, has placed Tony in an ideal position to provide effective representation to interested parties in Fatal Accident Inquiries, and to represent individuals or bodies charged with health and safety contraventions. As such, Tony is often instructed where complicated mechanical or medical evidence is a factor. These have included inquiries involving maritime, aviation and road traffic fatalities.
John has practised exclusively in criminal law since September 1989 specialising in criminal defence work. He was one of the founding partners of a leading West of Scotland criminal defence law firm.
He has substantial experience in all aspects of the practice of criminal law from first interview with accused persons to running cases in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He practised as a Solicitor Advocate from 2000 until he called at the Bar in June 2013.
Mark Moir was a solicitor for a number of years before calling at the Bar. He practices solely in the area of Criminal law and has a particular interest and expertise in Proceeds of Crime matters.
Paul Nelson KC has specialised in criminal litigation throughout his legal career, from its inception at a prominent Glasgow firm of solicitors, during service as a procurator fiscal at Hamilton, Lanark and Glasgow, and throughout his practice at the Bar.
After calling in 2004, Paul built up an extensive practice throughout the first instance and appellate courts of Scotland over a number of years as sole or leading junior, before being granted the rank and dignity of one of His Majesty’s Counsel.
He has been instructed, as leading or sole counsel, to defend a wide range of the more serious crimes known to the law of Scotland, such as murder, attempted murder, rape, fraud, serious and organised crime offences, armed robbery, fire raising, extortion, lewd and libidinous practices, abduction, assault (with various degrees of aggravation), culpable and reckless endangerment of the lieges, brothel keeping, attempts to defeat the ends of justice, indecent imagery possession and distribution, and prison rioting, as well as statutory crimes under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Firearms Act 1968, the Terrorism Act 2000, the Road Traffic Act 1988, the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, the Data Protection Act 1998, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Computer Misuse Act 1990, and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
He was lead counsel in one of the longer running jury cases in Scotland, successfully defending, after a trial running for 6 months, one of four men accused of multiple charges of fraud. He acted for and secured the complete acquittal of a man facing an 80 charge indictment libelling charges of fraud, theft and contraventions of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
He has a wide knowledge of and interest in forensic medicine and science in general and, in particular, the use of DNA evidence, and the limitations of such evidence. That knowledge has been applied for the benefit of those for whom he has been instructed in a number of cases that have turned on the successful cross-examination of forensic scientists and doctors.
Having been appointed an ad hoc advocate depute in 2017, he has prosecuted a variety of crimes in the High Court of Justiciary, such as attempted murder, rape and other sexual offences, firearms offences and drug supply offences.
Called to the Bar in 1975, Edward Targowski became King’s Counsel in 1989. From 1985 until 1987 he held the appointment of Senior Magistrate and Coroner in the Republic of Seychelles.
He is now one of the most experienced and able silks practicing in criminal law in Scotland.
Edward has represented clients in criminal trials, appeals and inquiries in some of the most controversial legal cases in Scotland. He has represented many parents accused of physical, sexual and satanic abuse of their children. He acted for the parents accused of satanic child abuse in Orkney and led the legal representation on their behalf at the public inquiry that resulted in the Clyde Report.
During his appointment as Senior Advocate Depute he was responsible for the successful prosecution of many High Court cases.
Edward provides advice and representation to private and commercial clients on all aspects of fraud, embezzlement, proceeds of crime and money laundering legislation, including restraint orders. He represents and advises International clients on Unexplained Wealth Orders.
He has had notable success in various road traffic cases.
Bill has considerable experience in all facets of criminal law, through working as a Solicitor, Procurator Fiscal Depute and an Advocate. As a Solicitor, Bill acted in fatal accident inquiries, family law matters, hearings on adoption and children’s referrals, and summary and solemn criminal trials. As Counsel he has undertaken trials alone, and with Senior Counsel, in a wide variety of criminal matters including murder, rape, causing death by dangerous driving; attempted murder, misuse of drugs, production and concerned in the supply, sexual offences, and offences of violence with aggravations.
Prior to calling at the bar, Julian was a solicitor in private practice for 18 years specialising in family and child law cases. He was an accredited specialist in child law from 2003. He has extensive knowledge of the civil and children’s legal aid regulations.
He regularly conducted multi day proofs addressing complex issues of fact such as paediatric medical evidence, sexual and physical abuse allegations and systematic neglect of children. He has considerable experience of acting for birth families in cases involving the removal of children into care and has a specialist interest in cases involving the impact of article 8 of the ECHR in compulsory care, adoption and permanence order proceedings.
He also has many years of experience in cases concerning financial provision on divorce, cohabitant’s claims, applications to relocate abroad with children and, recently, forced marriage.
