Update From North of the Border: The Role of Solicitor Advocates in Scotland - Laura Brain, Brodies LLP
16/02/16. Earlier this month, another of my colleagues started out on his journey towards becoming a solicitor advocate. All going well, he will qualify later this year and join Brodies’ in-house advocacy panel. But what does it actually mean to be a solicitor advocate in Scotland and why was the role created?
The History
The right for a solicitor to seek “extended rights of audience” in the higher courts of Scotland (namely the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, the Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council) was introduced in 1993 by the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990.
Prior to 1993, those seeking representation in the higher courts of Scotland would require to instruct an advocate (the equivalent of a barrister in England and Wales). The creation of the role of solicitor advocate was to offer an alternative to clients, providing greater freedom of choice.
The principal difference between the two branches of the profession is that...
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