Louise Cockburn

Louise Cockburn called to the Bar in 2022 having qualified as a solicitor in 2004.

She was a partner in a mid-sized firm in Edinburgh and Head of Planning in Scotland for a global firm before setting up her own practice in 2014.

She specialised in planning and environmental law and regularly appeared at inquiries and hearings, many into large scale renewable energy and infrastructure projects including the proposed redevelopment of the former Royal High School in Edinburgh, the Trump Organisation’s golf course at Menie and the Rosyth international container terminal. She was also the instructing solicitor in a successful legal challenge to a local plan. She is a member of the Scottish Planning, Local Government and Environmental Law Bar Group.

Whilst devilling Louise focused on clinical negligence. She was involved in complex and high value cases for pursuers and for defenders, often health boards.

Back

Ayla Iridag

Ayla Iridag called to the bar after working as a solicitor for an International Law Firm, predominately in the fields of insurance and public law. Ayla specialises in actions arising from Health and Safety and Administrative Law matters. This includes personal injury and clinical negligence actions in both the Sheriff Court and Court of Session, as well as Fatal Accident Inquiries and Judicial Reviews.

Ayla’s public and administrative law practice is broad and examples of recent work include firearms licensing disputes, malicious prosecution and unlawful detention cases and orders under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Ayla has appeared in the Mental Health Tribunal. Ayla was appointed Standing Junior to the Office of the Advocate General in 2022 and in this role has been instructed by various government departments in actions under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, petitions for Judicial Review and appeals against Health and Safety Prohibition Notices.

Ayla’s Health and Safety practice includes acting for insurers and commercial organisations in defending actions arising from workplace accidents; occupiers’ liability claims and road traffic accidents.  Ayla is regularly instructed on behalf of health boards and medical organisations in respect of clinical negligence matters, often with a particular interest in mental health, as well as in Fatal Accident Inquiries across Scotland. Prior to calling to the bar, as a Solicitor and Devil, Ayla gained experience in health and safety prosecutions, including at trial. She has experience appearing in the criminal courts, including conducting commissions.

Ayla also has experience of regulatory proceedings, having conducted substantive hearings for the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Scottish Social Services Council.

Selected cases

Back

Katharine Muir

Katharine Muir called to the Bar in 2022 after 6 years as a solicitor in private practice. She has a varied civil practice which includes professional regulation, clinical negligence, product liability, judicial review, defamation, construction litigation and contractual disputes. She appears regularly in the Sheriff Courts and Court of Session and has been instructed in group proceedings.

Katharine has a particular interest in product liability. She has worked on some of the most high-profile product liability cases in Scotland as solicitor and since coming to the Bar. She has also advised manufacturers on product compliance and safety, labelling and advertising.

 

Back

PEOPIL Event – Joint conference of the Medical Negligence EEG and the Product Liability, Pharmaceutical and Mass Tort EEG

***External Event***

2 day conference. Day 1 Clinical Negligence programme chaired by Ampersand’s Lauren Sutherland QC.

Full programme can be viewed here.

On Demand video now available.

Back

PEOPIL Event – Joint conference of the Medical Negligence EEG and the Product Liability, Pharmaceutical and Mass Tort EEG

***External Event***

2 day conference. Day 1 Clinical Negligence programme chaired by Ampersand’s Lauren Sutherland QC.

Full programme can be viewed here.

Video of event can be viewed via YouTube here.

Back

New Article published “Duty of candour in clinical negligence litigation”

We are pleased to see the article co-written by Kay Springham QC and Ampersand’s Jennifer Nicholson-White is now published. The article “Duty of candour in clinical negligence litigation” is in the Reparation Bulletin (Rep. B. 2022, 165, 6-8).

Back