John Halley

Mr Halley had accused Lady Smith, who is chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), of discriminating against him.

The advocate was lead junior counsel to the SCAI but has been absent from work since 2016 after he was diagnosed with cancer.

In April this year, he issued a statement saying: “I have had to suffer disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation by Lady Smith”.

In October, lawyers for Lady Smith said Mr Halley’s claim was groundless and that he was not an employee but a self-employed advocate.

He told STV News that he had withdrawn partly because of the risk of paying legal costs.

He added: “Lady Smith discriminated against me, harassed and victimised me when I was diagnosed with cancer, undergoing surgery, during chemotherapy and thereafter to date.

“Her lack of compassion calls into question her ability to exercise balanced and compassionate judgment in relation to cancer sufferers in the workplace, in my experience.”

Lady Smith was appointed to the role following the departure of Susan O’Brien QC in 2016.