Joanna Cherry KC
Joanna Cherry KC called to the bar in 1995 and took silk in 2009. Joanna has established herself as a formidable presence in the legal world and has experience in human rights, public law, constitutional matters, criminal, medical-legal matters and in fatal accident inquiries. Her extensive experience includes serving as a standing Junior to the Scottish Government and as an advocate depute. Prior to her political career, she built a successful appellate practice, regularly appearing before the UK Supreme Court and handling complex medical-legal cases and fatal accident inquiries.
Joanna served as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South-West from 2015 to 2024. During that time, she was the front bench spokesperson for her party on justice and home affairs from 2015 to 2021. Thereafter she chaired parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights.
Her parliamentary tenure was marked by significant legal achievements, including her involvement in high-profile constitutional litigation that took her to both the European Court of Justice and the UK Supreme Court. She led the Scottish litigation that resulted in Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament being ruled unlawful.
Joanna’s work has been widely recognised. She was awarded the Herald’s “Best Scot at Westminster” in 2019 and Holyrood magazine’s equivalent award in 2021. She is also an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple.
Prior to entering politics, the Legal 500 had recognised Joanna as a leading silk in the criminal field, and in personal injury, medical negligence and professional negligence, where she was described as “fearless in her pursuit of a satisfactory outcome for the client.”
Joanna has returned to full-time practice and is available for instruction.
Selected cases:
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Alexander Sutherland Returns to Full-Time Practice After Three Years as Advocate Depute
Ampersand is delighted to announce that Alexander Sutherland has returned to full-time practice at the civil bar after serving as an Advocate Depute for three years. During his time with the Crown Office, Alex prosecuted numerous cases in the High Court of Justiciary.
Alex’s return brings a wealth of experience to his practice areas, which include commercial law, public law (including judicial review and planning), and reparation. His time as an Advocate Depute saw him conduct over 30 trials in the High Court, handling cases involving murder, attempted murder, causing death by dangerous driving, possession of firearms, and rape.
Upon his return, Alan Moffat, Practice Manager said, “We are thrilled to welcome Alex back to full-time practice. His return strengthens our team and offers clients access to his unique blend of criminal and civil litigation experience. The time serving as an Advocate Depute in the Crown Office is invaluable, as he brings enhanced advocacy skills back to his civil practice.”
Alex’s expertise has been further recognised with his appointment as a Standing Junior to the Scottish Government in March 2024. He continues to serve as a reporter for Session Cases, a role he has held since May 2020.
With his fluency in German and French, Alex is particularly well-positioned to handle cases involving documents in these languages. His diverse background, including his contributions to legal publications and his experience tutoring Civil Court Practice at Edinburgh University, makes him a versatile and knowledgeable advocate.
For those seeking counsel with a proven track record in litigation and a broad range of legal expertise, Alexander Sutherland is available for instruction again.
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Ampersand Advocates Achieves Top Rankings Across Multiple Practice Areas in Legal 500 2025 Guide
Ampersand Advocates is delighted to once again be recommended as a top-tier set across multiple practice areas by The Legal 500 UK Bar Directory in their latest listings for the 2025 guide. The Stable has again achieved impressive rankings across five key practice areas, solidifying its position as a leading Scottish Set.
Ampersand has been listed as tier 1 in Administrative & Public Law, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence, Crime and Regulatory, and Property, Planning & Construction. The stable also secured a tier 2 ranking in Commercial Disputes. This comprehensive recognition spans an impressive 34 Senior Counsel rankings and 21 Junior Counsel rankings, including 2 rising stars, across the Scottish Bar listings.
Administrative and Public Law (Tier 1) Ampersand’s expertise in this area is highlighted by the rankings of Douglas Ross KC, Aidan O’Neill KC, Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC, Susanne Tanner KC and Paul Reid KC (2023 silk). The stable’s juniors Timothy Young and Ross Anderson are also recognized, with Michael Way noted as a rising star. Usman Tariq KC’s appointment to silk in September 2024 further strengthens the team.
Personal Injury and Medical Negligence (Tier 1) An impressive roster of silks includes Simon Bowie KC, Una Doherty KC, Lisa Henderson KC, Euan Mackenzie KC, Maria Maguire KC, Geoffrey Mitchell KC, Graham Primrose KC, Lauren Sutherland KC, Alan Dewar KC, Vinit Khurana KC, Douglas Ross KC and Fiona Drysdale KC (2023 silk). Jennifer Nicholson-White, Ayla Iridag, and Shane Dundas are recognized as leading juniors. James McConnell KC took silk in September 2024, further bolstering the team’s expertise.
Crime and Regulatory (Tier 1) The stable’s strength in this area is evidenced by the rankings of Simon Bowie KC, Lisa Henderson KC, Jamie Dawson KC, Una Doherty KC, Susanne Tanner KC, Geoffrey Mitchell KC, Paul Reid KC (2023 silk), and Fiona Drysdale KC (2023 silk). Ayla Iridag and Jennifer Nicholson-White are noted as leading juniors, with Michael Way recognized as a rising star. James McConnell KC and Usman Tariq KC were appointed to silk in September 2024.
Property, Planning and Construction (Tier 1) Robert Howie KC, Ailsa Wilson KC, Marcus McKay KC, and Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC are all ranked as leading silks. Eoghainn MacLean, Nicholas McAndrew, Ross Anderson, Timothy Young and Giles Reid are recognized as leading juniors.
Commercial Disputes (Tier 2) The stable’s commercial disputes team is led by silks Robert Howie KC, Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC, and Paul Reid KC (2023 silk). Ross Anderson, Eoghainn MacLean, Mark Boni, Timothy Young and Nicholas McAndrew are ranked as leading juniors, with Michael Way noted as a rising star. Usman Tariq KC’s appointment to silk in September 2024 adds further depth to the team.
Ampersand Advocates is also recommended in the Employment and Private Client and Family categories, with Aidan O’Neill KC ranked as a leading silk in Employment and Mark Boni recognised as a leading junior in Private Client and Family.
The Stable’s clerking team, led by Alan Moffat, received high praise for their efficiency, responsiveness, and proactive approach.
These rankings reflect Ampersand Advocates’ continued excellence and dedication to providing top-tier legal services across a wide range of practice areas in Scotland.
Full listings, for all of Ampersand’s rankings can be viewed on the Legal 500 website here.
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Sexual Offences Review webpage and Terms of Reference launched
The Sexual Offences Review has published its webpage and Terms of Reference to give information to the public and professionals about its work on reviewing how the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland deals with reports of sexual offences.
The review was commissioned by Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC , in recognition of the profound impact that sexual violence crimes have on victims and on society, and the fact that sexual offences now account for at least 70 per cent of the casework of Scotland’s High Court prosecutors.
Ampersand’s Susanne Tanner KC has been appointed to chair the review, assisted by colleagues seconded from Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Ms Tanner KC will make findings and recommendations to improve the way in which reports of sexual offences are dealt with and they will be published on the webpage in autumn 2023.
Full article can be viewed on the COPFS website here.
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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
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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.
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