Civil Procedure Half-Day Conference

An update on a variety of topical issues facing civil litigators, delivered by leading authorities in their respective fields.

Topics:

• The Commercial Court (Lord Sandison)
• The Role of Litigation Funding in Insolvency Related Disputes (Rachel Grant, Manolete)
• Simple Procedure (Sheriff Allan Findlay)
• Mediation (Professor Charlie Irvine, University of Strathclyde)
• Recent and future developments in digitalisation in the civil courts (Andrew Campbell)

In terms of content, the overarching theme will be digitalisation but the focus will be on the development of the court rules on virtual hearings; the current work going on in the “SCTS Civil Lab” around digital improvements to court actions.

Speakers:

Lord Sandison

Rachel Grant is Associate Director with Manolete Partners plc in Scotland. She has over 25 years of experience in insolvency law and prior to joining Manolete was a partner with Brodies LLP. Rachel has top tier ranking for insolvency in the legal directories, has been inducted into the Legal 500 Hall of Fame and in 2017 received the Scottish Women’s Award for Services to Law. Rachel sits on the R3 General Technical Committee and R3 Scottish Technical Committee (which she chaired for over 10 years). She is a member and former chair of the Law Society Insolvency Accreditation Panel, was a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Corporate, Banking and Insolvency Committee for over 20 years and represented the Law Society on the Joint Insolvency Committee.

Andrew Campbell has been the Legal Secretary to the Lord President and head of the Lord President’s Private Office since 2019.  A government lawyer for nearly 25 years, he spent 7 years in the UK Government (including working for the UK Law Officers in London) followed by 10 years in the Scottish Government.  In 2008 he established Transport Scotland Legal Advisers’ office in Glasgow and has also spent time working in policy.  He has broad legal experience with particular expertise in advisory and legislation work.  Examples of the legal projects he has led on include: emergency legislation to facilitate court work during Covid; abolition of graduate endowments; air weapons licensing; police reform; the new Forth Bridge and agricultural law reform.

Charlie Irvine

Sheriff Allan Findlay