Candidates for the Campbeltown, Dunoon, Oban, Rothesay & Fort William seat on the Council of the Law Society of Scotland
1. Philip Andrew Lafferty
2. Campbell Calum Read
3. Jennifer Elizabeth Royston
Candidate Information
Full Name: Philip Andrew Lafferty
Firm: Clyde Defence Lawyers Ltd
Please state your professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:
Bachelor of Laws and Diploma in Legal Practice from Glasgow University
Please state your current employment position:
I am currently a Director of Clyde Defence Lawyers Ltd
Please provide details of your service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland or other relevant professional association:
I held the office of Treasurer to The Faculty of Solicitors of Dunbartonshire 2000- 2015 and was elected Vice Dean in February 2018.
I have been a member of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland since May 2015.
Please write a personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 200 words). This will be shared with constituents during the election process:
I have served on Council for three years. Coming from a background of purely criminal court practice, it has been a fascinating challenge to become acquainted with the broad spectrum of legal and regulatory issues which constitute the work of Council. The experience has undoubtedly broadened my perspective of the legal world in Scotland. I’m standing for re-election to Council in order to build upon the experience I have gained over the last three years and make even more effective contribution to the work of Council with the benefit of that experience. I should also like to help strengthen the links between the Society and the membership, the majority of whom I represent earn their living in small scale High Street practices, leading to improved understanding of the challenges facing local practitioners and appreciation of the ways in which the Society can support them.
Candidate Information
Full Name: Campbell Calum Read
Firm: Stewart Balfour Sutherland
Please state your professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:
LL.B (Hons) PG Dip LP LL.M NP
Please state your current employment position:
Director/Owner of General Practice Firm with offices in Campbeltown, Lochgilphead, Oban and Skye.
Please provide details of your service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland or other relevant professional association:
Council Member LSS 2015-present. Trainee Mentor 2014-present.
Please write a personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 200 words). This will be shared with constituents during the election process:
Being a member of the Council for the last three years has been jolly good fun. The Council is a remarkable forum. It is a place where the voice of the rural high street solicitor from Argyll can be heard just as clearly as that of a corporate partner from a multinational practice. It is a place of debate. It is a place of bonding. It is a place where those with an interest in the law and the practice of law can shape and safeguard the future of the legal profession in Scotland for years to come. It is also a great place to have a good old moan!
If I am re-elected I will continuously remind the Council and the Executive of the practicalities of High Street life. I shall oppose any measure which seeks to impose unnecessary regulation on the profession. I shall oppose the insidious creep of the SLCC.
I believe that solicitors must be agile, forward-thinking and responsive to the needs and wishes of clients. We must embrace technology and best practices. We should not, however, allow ourselves to become homogeneous. We must fight not only for our clients but also for ourselves – our economic interests and our sanity.
Candidate Information
Full Name: Jennifer Elizabeth Royston
Firm: Argyll and Bute Council
Please state your professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:
Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice LLB Honours Law And French Law
Please state your current employment position:
Solicitor Argyll and Bute Council
Please provide details of your service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland or other relevant professional association:
I have principally been involved in charitable and political organisations.
Please write a personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 200 words). This will be shared with constituents during the election process:
I fully understand the commitment that is required to serve on the Law Society of Scotland’s Council. I have recently moved to area of Argyll and Bute however I believe that my experience demonstrates the determination and passion I have to investigate and promote the needs of the community I live in.
Since leaving the commercial legal sector in 2011, I have undertaken roles that have directly had an impact on the quality of lives on citizens in an overseas environment. I worked for the compliance, governance risk team of an international development charity based in Edinburgh but fighting to empower communities in forty two countries. As well as travelling to unstable environments to train staff, I have previously lived and worked in Sierra Leone in West Africa, monitoring a community human rights and legal empowerment programme. Whilst working in these paid roles, I have volunteered in roles that enable me to empower and represent components of the community I lived in. I volunteered as a board director for Development Coll, a community charity, and latterly as a Director for rape crisis. Furthermore, as a solicitor for Argyll and Bute Council, I am able to work in a public service role that addresses the needs of community members. This experience is integral to successfully representing the needs of constituents. Standing as a Lothian list candidate for the Women’s Equality Party in the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2016 has also provided me with the skills necessary to successful engage and relay matters of constituent concern of constituents. I would relish the opportunity to demonstrate these skills in the council role.