
He's very good, very helpful and will go out of his way to do things for you. His advice is always clear and helpful.
Chambers & Partners
Since calling to the Bar in 2011, Paul Reid has built a strong practice anchored around professional liability and public law. In 2020, he was appointed the First Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government (having first been appointed a Standing Junior in 2015). In that capacity he has advised the Scottish Government in respect of a broad range of public law matters and represented them in numerous high profile cases of constitutional significance (e.g. the 2022 Referendum Reference to the Supreme Court). In that capacity, he has also represented the UK Government before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He has particular experience in respect of prison-related litigation (including several high profile Fatal Accident Inquiries following deaths in custody) and planning-related litigation (including compensation claims before the Lands Tribunal and planning appeals to the Inner House).
Paul also has particular interest and experience in professional liability and regulation (especially claims against solicitors, surveyors and medical professionals). As well as conducting litigation on behalf of professionals and professions, he has appeared before fitness to practice panels (medical profession), the Scottish FA’s judicial panel (sporting) and has represented legal professionals seeking leave to appeal decisions of the SLCC. He has appeared in a number of regulatory appeals to the Court of Session (both following substantive fitness to practice proceedings and in respect of extensions of interim orders). In that respect, he has experience represented both professionals and regulatory bodies. Paul is regularly instructed by the NHS in Scotland to advise on a wide range of matters, including clinical negligence claims, mental health issues and advice in relation to various issues of statutory and regulatory compliance, including advise in respect of medico-legal ethical issues. He was instructed by the NHS in their successful defence of the Scottish mesh litigation and acts on behalf a firm of engineers in another group litigation before the Court of Session (the Watling Street litigation). He represented the driver of the Glasgow bin lorry in the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the December 2014 disaster. He has also represented parties before the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and the UK Infected Blood Inquiry. Although predominantly instructed on behalf of defenders, Paul also has experience of pursing a range of claims (professional liability, commercial and property). He regularly appears before the Court of Session and other tribunals.
Paul has taught public law at the University of Edinburgh since 2004, regularly lecturing and tutoring on various aspects of the subject. He has a particular interest in judicial review, surveillance powers and electoral law. Paul regularly publishes articles and blogs on public law and has written the third and fourth editions of the Green’s Concise Guide to Public Law (published in October 2015 and August 2020, respectively). He also regularly speaks at seminars on public law and professional liability.
Paul is ranked by Chambers and Partners (2021) in the fields of professional liability (Band 1: “an excellent junior with experience appearing unled”), administrative and public law (Band 2: “He’s always well prepared and on top of the issues”), clinical negligence (Band 2: “Approachable, pragmatic and realistic – he’s very easy to work with”) and commercial dispute resolution (Band 2: “Paul is very able and tactically astute”).
In 2022, Paul was appointed as a part-time Sheriff and in 2023 he was appointed King’s Counsel.
- Two King’s Counsel Appointments at Ampersand Advocates13 September, 2023
- Ampersand Advocates continues Top Rankings success in 2023 Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide20 October, 2022
- Ampersand Advocates ranked as top tier set by Legal 500 in 2023 guide4 October, 2022
- Judicial Review on Scottish census sex question refused25 February, 2022
- Trio of Ampersand Advocates appointed part-time sheriffs13 January, 2022