Legal figures feature amongst Scotland’s 100 most powerful and influential

The Herald’s 2015 edition of Scotland’s Power 100 places solicitor-advocate John Scott QC at number 96; solicitor Aamer Anwar at 71; Professor Lorne Crerar, chairman of Harper Macleod at 67; Kate Frame, the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner at 15; the Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC (pictured below) at 12 and the Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Carloway (pictured right) at 5.

Mr Scott’s entry states: “A successful lawyer who has practised in the criminal courts for 30 years, John Scott chaired the independent advisory group that examined the practise of police stop and search.

“Scott’s group reported earlier this year and found that ending the searches would not prevent officers carrying out their duties effectively. It was later announced that Police Scotland would stop carrying out non-statutory stop-and-searches of adults and children. Scott is a former chair of the Scottish Human Rights Centre.”

The newspaper says of Mr Anwar that he came to prominence over the murder of Indian waiter Surjit Singh Chhokar and has “since been at the centre of some of the most high-profile legal cases in Scotland”.

Of Professor Crerar it says: Possibly Scotland’s highest profile solicitor, he is also so much more. He co-founded and chairs the law firm Harper Macleod, which has continued to explore new areas of business in difficult economic times for lawyers.

“But he has also been visiting lecturer at the University of Glasgow since the early 1980s and was at the centre of one of the most controversial legal reforms of the last ten years: the introduction of the single survey for property sales.”

Mr Mulholland’s entry describes his successful prosecution of Angus Sinclair over the World’s End murders after double jeopardy was abolished.

Ms Frame’s entry states: “As the woman with responsibility for undertaking independent investigations into serious incidents involving the police, Kate Frame is likely to be highly influential on the future of Police Scotland as well as the public’s, and the government’s confidence in the force.

“Ms Frame was appointed as the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner for Scotland in June 2014, after a career in the Crown Office, where she was head of the Criminal Allegations Against the Police Division. She started her new job in August and has already confidently asserted her independence from the police.”

Lord Carloway’s entry notes that his influence on justice in Scotland has been “significant” and mentions his recent appointment as chairman of the Scottish Sentencing Council.

Topping the list, unsurprisingly, for the second year in a row was First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, with businessmen Ross McEwan, Sir Tom Hunter and Jim McColl also making the top 10.