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 Stoddart (retired)

Charles Stoddart was a practising solicitor before being appointed as a Sheriff in 1988. He held that office until 2009, having presided initially in Paisley and thereafter in Edinburgh. In 1997 he became the first Director of Judicial Studies in Scotland, a post he held until 2000. He has served on a number of professional bodies, including the former Sheriff Court Rules Council and the Council of the Sheriffs Association. He was a member of the Scottish Civil Justice Review Policy Group and also presided as a Temporary Sheriff Principal between 2010 and 2011.

Sheriff Hughes (Dundee)

Sheriff Hughes graduated from the University of Strathclyde. He was a partner of the firm of McAuley McCarthy and Co from 1980 until 2003 and practiced principally in the field of civil litigation. Sheriff Hughes tutored on the Diploma for Legal Studies at the Glasgow Graduate School of Law from 1988 to 2004 and from 2000 was the Head Tutor in Civil Court Practice and Advocacy. In 2003 Sheriff Hughes was appointed as a part time sheriff and in 2004 he was appointed as a resident sheriff at Dundee Sheriff Court. A contributor to the latest edition of Macphail – Sheriff Court Practice, Sheriff Hughes also has a great interest in Education and from 2000-2003 served as a Director on the Scottish School Boards Association for East Renfrewshire.

James Mure KC

James Mure is a member of the Faculty of Advocates with wide experience of commercial litigation, planning and environmental law, human rights and judicial review.  He has served as First Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government, and on the Advisory Panel to the Commission on a Bill of Rights.  Before coming to the bar, he served in HM Diplomatic Service.

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).

Scottish Government - vacant

The Scottish Government holds a standing appointment on each Council committee - The previous representative stood down in December 2021 - a request for appointment of a new representative is under consideration by the Scottish Government.

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.
Diane Machin, Deputy Principal Clerk of Session, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service