Society welcomes new solicitors

Fifty-nine admitted to the profession at ceremony in Edinburgh

News, 12 March 2008

Take your share of responsibility for upholding the rule of law, the Advocate General for Scotland urged 59 new solicitors admitted to the profession by the Law Society of Scotland last week.

Congratulating the 45 women and 14 men at a ceremony in Parliament House, Edinburgh, Lord Davidson of Glen Clova said: “A career in the profession of law puts you firmly in the role of upholding the rule of law. Personal expediency and political advantage can provide strong motives to disregard the process of law.

"Well intentioned but misguided notions of common good or public safety can also encourage breaches of the rule of law. As lawyers your duty is to question and when appropriate resist those who wish to step outside the rule of law.”

Lord Davidson added: “Responsibility for upholding the rule of law is more widely shared than the courts alone. On becoming solicitors you have now assumed your share of that responsibility. You have the capacity to preserve and shape the way our society runs and develops.”

President of the Society, Richard Henderson, added his congratulations, praising the solicitors for their hard work and paying tribute to their family and friends for their support in reaching the stage of becoming fully fledged solicitors.

“The Society welcomes you at a very exciting time for the legal profession. The Society is closely involved in developing changes to the future delivery of legal services as well as the way our solicitors are trained. We’d encourage all solicitors to feed back to the Society with their views on a range of issues we are looking at, as well as how they see the Society going forward.”