Public appointment: Members appointed to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

The Minister for Community Safety today announced the appointment of Dale Hughes and Lynne Collingham as Members of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Member

Dales Hughes, Advocate has over 25 years’ legal experience in all types of law and specifically criminal defence work. Starting his criminal law career working for the Crown. He has progressed from Solicitor to Advocate, undertaking a wide variety of criminal cases. He has also been involved in a number of successful High Court appeals involving complex legal issues. Dale’s primary interest is in trial work and he has established a deserved reputation as a diligent and tenacious defence counsel. Presently he sits on the ICAS regulatory committee. He also prosecutes for the GMC and is a legal assessor for the GTC. Born in Glasgow he now lives in Edinburgh with his partner and three children. In his spare time he enjoys walking his dogs, playing tennis and reading.

Lynne Collingham is a partner at TC Young, Glasgow and accredited by the Law Society as a specialist in both family and child law. Lynne has over 30 years’ experience as a solicitor in private practise and has built up a strong understanding of standards of service. Lynne has been a civil legal aid and peer reviewer since 2006, accessing solicitors’ files for quality assurance purposes. Lynne has a particular interest in dispute resolution and since the 2000’s, Lynne has been a collaborative family lawyer and a member of Consensus Collaboration Scotland.

Appointment

Mr Hughes’ appointment will be for five years and will run from 12 August 2022 to 11 August 2027.

Mrs Collingham’s appointment will be for five years and will run from 15 June 2022 to 14 June 2027.

This appointment is regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

This appointments are part-time and attracts a remuneration of £219.92 for a time commitment of two days per month.

Other ministerial appointments

Mr Hughes and Mrs Cunningham do not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.   

Mr Hughes and Mrs Cunningham have had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) is an independent statutory body providing a single point of contact for all complaints against legal practitioners operating in Scotland. The SLCC investigate and resolve complaints about inadequate professional services; refer conduct complaints to the relevant professional body and have oversight of complaint handling across the profession.

The SLCC operates independently of the legal profession and government and aims to resolve complaints early, efficiently and effectively and to improve complaints handling across the profession. Through this work we aim to improve trust and confidence in Scottish legal services.

There is a strong focus on early resolution, resolving cases without using formal investigative or determination powers.  A significant majority of cases are resolved after conciliation work by the SLCC lets the parties resolve the matter consensually, or through mediation.