Fiona Drysdale KC

Year of Call: 2002
Silk: 2023

0131 226 5071
clerks.ampersand@advocates.org.uk

Photo of Fiona Drysdale KC

"She is extremely capable, hard working and reliable."

Legal 500 UK Bar 2025

Fiona Drysdale specialises in clinical negligence, reparation and public inquiries. She has considerable experience in catastrophic injury, fatal cases and those concerning children. She served as a Standing Junior to the Scottish Government and is an Ad Hoc Advocate Depute. She is a member of the Scottish Civil Justice Council, an instructor of instructors for Advocacy Skills and a Quality Assurance Assessor. Her regulatory work includes acting as a Legal Assessor for the General Teaching Council for Scotland and as clerk to the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Faculty of Advocates. Fiona was instructed as a standing junior counsel on behalf of the Scottish Government in Module 1 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on the Resilience and Preparedness of the United Kingdom for which The Inquiry Report was published on 18 July 2024.

She is ranked in Chambers UK Bar 2025 for clinical negligence and public and fatal accident inquiries. Chambers states “Fiona Drysdale KC has hit the ground sprinting since taking silk in 2023. She has been instructed on several high-profile mandates for core participants. She is widely recognised for her prowess in the clinical negligence field” and “Fiona Drysdale KC represents clients on both the pursuer and defender sides of clinical negligence cases. She is noted for her strength in claims resulting from maximum-severity birth injuries. She is also experienced in fatal claims and delayed diagnosis cases”.

She is also ranked in Legal 500 UK Bar 2025 for clinical negligence and personal injury and crime and regulatory which states “She is extremely capable, hard-working and reliable”.

Recent Cases

UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry – Module 1
On behalf of the Scottish Government as a standing junior counsel in Module 1 of the UK Covid Inquiry on the Resilience and Preparedness of the United Kingdom in June and July 2023.

James McGraw v Greater Glasgow Health Board [2022] CSOH 83
For defender in procedure roll debate in a clinical negligence case under Ch42A on Hunter v Hanley.

AW v Greater Glasgow Health Board [2015] CSOH 99 , AW v Greater Glasgow Health Board [2017] CSIH 58
For pursuer. Multimillion pound cerebral palsy case arising from birth injuries. Complex causation issues and longest-running clinical negligence proof in Scotland. Further Opinion issued after hearing in the Inner House in October 2016.

CD v Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals Trust [2015] CSOH
For pursuer. A birth injuries case against midwives involving shoulder dystocia where the child was born with a severe brachial plexus injury and permanent disability.

D’s Parent and Guardian v Greater Glasgow Health Board 2011 SLT 1137
For defenders. First Scottish case which settled with a periodic payment order approved by the Court. Structured settlement. Obstetric negligence claim arising from failed McClellan’s forceps rotation leading to spinal injury at birth.

Practice Areas
Clerks

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

Working Remotely

Jennifer Dunn

Deputy Advocates' Clerk

(working days Mondays to Thursdays)

Working Remotely

Sheena Hume

Deputy Advocates' Clerk

Working Remotely

Shawn McArthur

Deputy Advocates' Clerk

Working Remotely

Kathryn Ferguson

Deputy Advocates' Clerk

Working in Office

Emma Busby

Deputy Advocates' Clerk

Working in Office
Qualifications

Diploma in Legal Practice, University of Edinburgh 1996


LLB and French (Joint Hons), University of Edinburgh 1995


Diplôme de Droit Français, Université de Paris-Sud 1994


 

Memberships

Quality Assurance Assessor, Faculty of Advocates, 2024


Appointed King’s Counsel, 2023


Acting Clerk of Faculty, 2023


Member of the Scottish Civil Justice Council: 2023 to date


Appointed Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government, 2022


Ad hoc Advocate Depute: 2015 to 2017; 2021 to date


Legal Assessor to the General Teaching Council for Scotland: 2021 to date


Member of the Access to Justice Committee of the Scottish Civil Justice Council: 2020 to date


Clerk to the Examiners and Deputy Clerk of Faculty of Advocates: 2019 to 2023


Advocacy Skills Instructor on the Advocates Training Course


Tutor, University of Edinburgh , Civil Court Practice: 2011 to 2021


Legal Translator, Court of Justice of the European Communities 2000 – 2001


 

Court and Tribunal Experience

She regularly appear in the Inner and Outer House of Court of Session, sheriff court, High Court of Justiciary, Fatal Accident Inquiries and Public Inquiries.

Publications

Fiona has contributed to drafting materials for use in the Faculty of Advocates Training Course and the Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh.

Recent News