In a ceremony held at the Court of Session, Law Society of Scotland president Susan Murray invited Lord Ericht to administer the Declaration of Allegiance.

The newly appointed solicitor advocates now have extended rights of audience to appear in the High Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

The new solicitor advocates are:

• Jennifer Bairner, COPFS
• Neil Macdonald, BTO Solicitors LLP
• Sean Maher, COPFS
• Donna Maitland, McCusker McElroy & Gallanagh Solicitors
• Fraser Matheson, COPFS
• Connor Muir, COPFS
• David Nicholson, Paisley Defence Lawyers (Scotland) Ltd
• Andrew Seggie, Levy & McRae Solicitors LLP
• Carrie Stevens, COPFS
• Hannah Sweeney, COPFS
• Michael Sweeney, COPFS

Ms Murray said: “I’d like to extend my sincere congratulations to the Law Society of Scotland’s newest group of solicitor advocates for reaching this career milestone, through a combination of hard work and dedication.

“Today marks the second ceremony in under a week, where I have introduced a total of 22 new solicitor advocates to the higher courts in Scotland. It has been a real honour to celebrate their success with them and their proud families.

“I am hugely encouraged to see that demand for the solicitor advocate course remains strong. As you embark on this exciting new chapter, we at the Law Society look forward to supporting you all in the next stage of your legal careers. Congratulations all!”