Current Costs and Funding Committee Members
Chair
Lord Harrower
Lord Harrower was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Courts in February 2020.
The Scottish Civil Justice Council approved his appointment as Chair of the Committee with effect from 31 December 2021..
Further information about Lord Harrower can be found here.
Members
Sheriff Varney (Greenock)
James Varney was a Partner in a large UK injury defence practice before being appointed as a Sheriff at Greenock in September 2022. Throughout his 20 year career, he specialised in the defence of high value personal injury cases in both the Sheriff court and Court of Session, alongside a busy criminal regulatory practice. He was appointed a tutor at Glasgow University in civil procedure and practice for diploma students in 2012. He presently serves as a Council member of the Sheriffs Association.
Sheriff Martin-Brown
Sheriff Martin-Brown was appointed as a sheriff in Dundee in 2019, having served as a summary sheriff since 2016. A graduate of the University of Aberdeen, she was a solicitor in private practice for six years and an advocate for six years. As a solicitor, she represented the Scottish Prison Service at Fatal Accident Inquiries throughout Scotland. At the Bar, she developed particular expertise in the fields of personal injury and medical negligence. She was appointed as Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government and served as an ad-hoc Advocate Depute. As a summary sheriff, she had particular responsibility for the Problem Solving Court in Forfar. She was appointed as a commercial sheriff in 2020.
Susan Ower
Susan is a well-regarded junior known for her impressive, wide-ranging practice. She specialises in insolvency, commercial litigation and company disputes. She also serves as a standing junior to the Scottish Government. She is praised for her sound grasp of commercial realities. With over 12 years’ experience at the bar, Susan has appeared in the United Kingdom Supreme Court, the Inner House of the Court of Session, the Court of Session and the Sheriff Court. She routinely a[[ears in the commercial court in the Court of Session. She has significant experience in representing insolvency practitioners, companies, company directors, financial institutions and government bodies, as well as individuals.
Alan Rogerson
Alan Rogerson is a Claims Manager with Aviva Insurance specialising in high value and complex Personal Injury, Products and Third Party Property damage claims. He is also the Chairman of the Forum of Scottish Claims Managers
Laura Blane
Laura is a solicitor advocate and a partner in Thompsons Solicitors with extensive experience in reparation claims and in particular those involving asbestos exposure. That experience and knowledge led to her involvement in the preparation of the Pre Action Disease Protocol some years ago. Also pointing
to her knowledge and experience in this area, she was asked to be part of the Scottish Law Commission Damages Advisory Group. Laura was appointed to the Committee in October 2022.
Stewart Mullan
Stewart Mullan trained as a Law Accountant with the Law Society of Scotland before joining the Edinburgh firm of Nightingale & Bell as ‘in-house’ Law Accountant. Stewart then formed the firm of Mullans, Law Accountants together with two former Law Society of Scotland colleagues and was Senior Managing Partner for many years. He now operates independently from an office in Perth offering a specialist fee management and consultancy service for both Pursuer and Defender agencies such as insurers and litigation funders. Stewart was a member of the Law Society of Scotland Professional Remuneration Committee between 2003 and 2016, a member of Sheriff Principal Taylor’s Review Group and is a founding member of the Association of Independent Law Accountants.
Ian Dickson
Ian Dickson is the Principal Legal Adviser to the Scottish Legal Aid Board. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1984 and was engaged in private practice undertaking both general civil and criminal court work until joining SLAB in 2002. Previously within SLAB he was Head of Service of the Civil Legal Assistance Office. He is a solicitor advocate (civil).
Susan Black
The Scottish Government holds a standing appointment on each Council committee. Susan Black is the Scottish Government representative from the Justice Directorate, where she is a member of the Courts Team. Susan has held a variety of posts within the Scottish Government as well as the wider civil service.
Robin Macpherson WS
Robin Macpherson was appointed Temporary Auditor of the Court of Session, Auditor of the Sheriff Appeal Court and Auditor of the All Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court in April 2020. Admitted as a solicitor in 1983, and as a solicitor advocate in 1997, he specialised in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. He was a partner at Robson Mclean WS (1988 – 2001) and Brodies (2001-2014). Prior to his appointment as Auditor he was a consultant at BTO Solicitors (2015-2020). He was accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Insolvency law as well as in Professional Negligence law. He sat on the former Court of Session Rules Council and has been a member of the Civil Justice and Client Protection Committees at the Law Society.
The Council has nominated a number of observers to attend Council and committee meetings in order to assist in the carrying out of its functions. In addition to Costs and Funding Committee members, the following observers attend Committee meetings:
David Smith, Deputy Head of Legislation and Implementation Team, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
Craig Anderson, Depute in Charge, Court of Session, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.