Simon Di Rollo KC FCIArb
Year of Call: 1987
Silk: 2002
07739 639005
sdirollo@advocates.org.uk
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Simon Di Rollo KC called in 1987 and took silk in February 2002. He has appeared in many important cases in both the Civil and Criminal courts including Supreme Court/House of Lords and JSPC. He has extensive and wide-ranging experience in other courts and tribunals including the GMC, the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and the Court of Arbitration for Sport at Lausanne. He has appeared in numerous Fatal Accident Inquiries and public inquiries. From 2010 to March 2012 he represented Patients Relatives and the Haemophilia Society in the Penrose Inquiry into contaminated blood and blood products. He was appointed Crown Counsel between 1997 and 2000 and has also appeared for the Crown numerous high profile cases since 2000. He lectured in civil procedure at the University of Edinburgh from 2000 until 2012 and was a member of the Sheriff Court Rules Council from 2002 until 2011. Since 2012 most of his work has been in the field of high value reparation in the Court of Session for both pursuers and defenders. He has particular expertise in industrial diseases. He is regularly instructed in clinical and professional negligence cases. Simon was admitted to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2017 and as a Fellow in September 2018.
In 2016 he was appointed as Director of the Quality Assurance Programme for the Faculty of Advocates. He has conducted numerous civil jury trials successfully. He is ranked Band 1 in Chambers 2017 for Personal Injury:
“A specialist in high-value and complex catastrophic injury claims. He has a broad practice covering industrial disease, employers’ liability and medical negligence claims.
Strengths: “He is eloquent and good on his feet, delivering his point very well.” “He has a very good commercial head on him which insurers appreciate.” “He is excellent at knowing the tactics the other team will employ.”
Mather v Easyjet Airline Co ltd [2023] CSIH 8
Liability of airline under the Montreal Convention for unlimited damages. Establishment of alternative case under applicable (German) law.
B V Congregation of Sisters of Nazareth [2022] CSIH 52
Leading case on application of time bar in civil cases involving historical abuse.
B v English Province of the Congregation of Christian Brothers [2022] 1 WLUK 453
Leading case for establishing historical sexual abuse allegations.
Gibson v Babcock International [2018] CSOH 78
Leading case in secondary exposure to asbestos.
Elizabeth Fairley v Edinburgh Trams Ltd and City of Edinburgh Council [2019] CSOH 50 / Iain Lowdean v TIE Ltd and City of Edinburgh Council [2019] CSOH 50 and City of Edinburgh Council [2019] CSOH 50 / Iain Lowdean v TIE Ltd and City of Edinburgh Council [2019] CSOH 50
A successful victory for cyclists injured on tram rails on the street section of the Edinburgh tram system
Denise Clair v David Goodwillie and David Robertson [2017] CSOH 5; 2017 S.L.T. 79
A successful civil claim for rape brought against two professional footballers. First case of its kind in Scotland in modern era
Hunter’s Executrix Nominate v Advocate General for Scotland [2016] CSOH 166; 2016 S.L.T. 1287; 2017 Rep. L.R. 14; 2016
Important decision concerning meaning of “child” in section 14 of the Damages (Scotland) Act 2011 – successfully argued that in the context of the Act the meaning of “child” was not age restricted but was correlative of relationship
Harris v Advocate General for Scotland [2016] CSOH 49; 2016 S.L.T. 572; 2016 Rep. L.R. 106; 2016
Set out the proper basis for valuation of pleural plaques claims upon full and final settlement
W v Advocate General for Scotland [2015] CSOH 111; 2015 S.L.T. 537
Set out the proper basis for valuation of provisional damages in pleural plaques claims under the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009 – set benchmark for other cases
Scottish Water Business Stream Ltd v Automatic Retailing [2014] CSOH 57
Successful defence of reparation claim following serious flood causing extensive damage at business premises. Complex technical engineering evidence concerning possible failure of component
Hill v Norside Ltd [2013] CSIH 44
Successful resistance of appeal as to level of finding of contributory negligence in catastrophic injury – at common law and under statutory provisions
Cairns v Northern Lighthouse Board [2013] CSOH 22; 2013 S.L.T. 645
A successful claim for liability in respect of an accident at sea brought under the Merchant Shipping (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997. Detailed analysis of regulatory regime under EU law concerning health and safety at work
B v G [2012] UKSC 21; 2012 S.C. (U.K.S.C.) 293; 2012 S.L.T. 840; 2012 S.C.L.R. 428; 2012 Fam. L.R. 56
Supreme Court. Appeal in contact dispute involving parent and child. Detailed consideration of powers and duties of court in cases of that kind
Contact our clerks
Normal business hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
ampersandclerks@advocates.org.uk
+44 (0)131 260 5674 (9am to 5pm)
Alan Moffat
Advocates' Clerk
Sheena Hume
Deputy Advocates' Clerk
Shawn McArthur
Deputy Advocates' Clerk
Kathryn Ferguson
Deputy Advocates' Clerk
Emma Busby
Deputy Advocates' Clerk
1984 – Diploma in Legal Practice
1983 – LLB (Hons) University of Edinburgh
Languages – Italian
Professional Experience
February 2002 – Appointed QC
1997 – 2000 – Advocate Depute (Crown Counsel)
July 1987 – Admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
September 1986 – Enrolled as a solicitor following traineeship
1984 – Diploma in Legal Practice
1983 – LLB (Hons) University of Edinburgh
Director of Ampersand 2006 to 2009
Member of Witness Issues Group – Scottish Government 2007 – 2012
Member of Reference Group for Scottish Government Inquiry into Legal Aid 2005/6
Curator of the Advocates Library 2010 -2013
Director of Faculty of Advocates Quality Assurance Programme 2016 (current)
Admitted to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – 2017
Admitted as Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – 2018
- UK Supreme Court/House of Lords/JSPC
- Court of Session (Inner House and Outer House)
- Sheriff Court
Publications
Consulting Editor Vol 1 Parliament House Book 2008 to present
Annotations to the Ordinary Cause Sheriff’s Court Rules Parliament House Book
Contributor, Green’s Litigation Styles
Case Commentator SLT 2001 – present
Section .172 An unconventional approach? 2001 SLT13
HM Advocate v Sinclair – Legitimate Inference v Illegitimate Speculation – 2008 SCL 151
Teaching
Lecturer in Civil Procedure, University of Edinburgh 2000 – 2012
Advocacy Skills – Faculty of Advocates since 1994
NITA Diploma Advocacy Teacher Training (Harvard) 1996
Tutor in Taxation and Commercial law (LLB Ordinary),1986 to 1989
Centro Studi di Penale Europeo Como “il divieto di difendersi mentendo nella cultura e nella practica guidiziaria di Scozia” (paper delivered in Italian at weekend conference) Sept 2006
Member of the working party and principal author of the Guidance on the Examination of Children in Court (Scottish Executive) 2003
- Ampersand Advocates continues Top Rankings success in 2024 Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide19 October, 2023
- Ampersand Advocates continues Top Rankings success in 2023 Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide20 October, 2022
- Ampersand Advocates welcomes Top Rankings success in latest Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide 202221 October, 2021
- Ampersand Advocates Top Rankings success in latest Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide22 October, 2020
- Ampersand Advocates ‘goes above and beyond at all times’ in latest Legal 500 UK Bar listings26 September, 2019