The tumbling lassie was forced to give her labour and liberty to an exploitative master – and those ugly situations sadly persist into the twenty first century.

With Edinburgh professor John Cairns setting the issues in historical and “long view” legal context, the Tumbling Lassie Committee is delighted to welcome the trial prosecutor and appeal advocates most closely involved with the leading labour exploitation cases in Scotland of Miller and McPhee.

The day will also feature practical insights from Kirsty Thomson of Just Right Scotland on impacts in survivors’ lives and Police Scotland’s John Wyllie will speak of work in Bhutan and Malawi and the international dimensions of intervention and police co-operation. His forensic accounting colleague, Kenneth Murray CA will show how astute and imaginative analysis of patterns of financial activity enable enforcement agencies to build effective cases.

For those who want to hear from the front line, SOHTIS’ Joy Gillespie and IJM’s Euan Fraser will share encouragements and challenges from their work in recognising, rescuing and restoring survivors trapped in bonded labour or other exploitative situations.

The very modest ticket price of £25 or £10 concession is the committee’s way of using the event to also provide a donation to the charities it supports.

As in previous years, the event will enjoy the generous sponsorship of the Faculty of Advocates, who are providing staffing, facilities, lunch, refreshments and a celebratory drinks reception to round off proceedings.

Book tickets here