Barney Ross

Year of Call 2013

"He's hard-working, great on the detail and very easy to work with." Chambers 2022

"He is intelligent, hard working, sensible, kind and good humoured. He provides excellent support at all stages of the case." Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

Barney Ross is an advocate specialising in reparation, regulatory and criminal law. 

In his civil practice, Barney acts for both pursuers and defenders in fatal and catastrophic injury actions in the Court of Session, including brain and spinal injury claims. He has particular expertise in the specialist areas of clinical negligence, industrial disease and historical child abuse. Recent notable cases include B v Congregation of Christian Brothers [2022] GWD 18-265, where he appeared for the pursuer (with Simon Di Rollo QC) at proof in a successful action for damages in respect of serious sexual abuse at a boarding school during the 1980s. Barney was instructed on behalf of the Health Boards in the recent Vaginal Mesh “class action” in the Court of Session.

Barney is instructed in Public Inquiries, Fatal Accident Inquiries and for the defence in criminal prosecutions relating to health and safety, environmental, maritime, and other regulatory offences. He is currently instructed (with Simon Bowie QC) for the NHS Scotland Health Boards in the Infected Blood Inquiry, a UK-wide public inquiry into the use of infected bood and blood products in the NHS since 1970. He defended a major distillery company charged with legionella related offences, for whom he continues to act (with Murdo Macleod QC) in related civil actions currently proceeding before the Court of Session. He represented the family of the deceased in the Queensferry Crossing FAI. He was part of the team which successfully defended a doctor in a major prosecution under the Terrorism Acts in the High Court: H.M. Advocate v Badri. He accepts instructions to advise on potential challenges to search warrants, including Revenue & Customs warrants.

In 2022 Barney was appointed as Clerk of the Faculty of Advocates.

Representative Cases

Re Infected Blood Inquiry 2021

  •  for the NHS Scotland Health Boards in a UK-wide public inquiry into the use of infected blood and blood products in the NHS since 1970

Fatal Accident Inquiry re death of Clare Shannon 2020

  • for Lothian Health Board at FAI arising from suicide of patient in psychiatric ward at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital

T v Congregation of Christian Brothers [2020] SCEDIN 13

  • for the pursuer at proof in successful action for damages re serious sexual abuse at a boarding school during the 1980s

J v UK Insurance Limited 2020

  • for insurer in high value claim re catastrophic spinal injuries sustained in road traffic accident

A v Advocate General for Scotland 2020

  • for pursuer who developed mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos blankets during service in the RAF in the 1990s

Z & Ors v Lanarkshire Health Board 2020

  • for defender in fatal clinical negligence action re failure to diagnose breast cancer at the defender's breast clinic

H.M. Advocate v Ayrshire & Arran Health Board 2020

  • for the defence in prosecution on indictment under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 re suicide of patient in hospital grounds

H.M. Advocate v N Ltd 2018

  • for the defence (with Murdo Macleod QC) re distillery charged with various legionella related health and safety contraventions; and in relation to related civil actins currently proceeding before the Court of Session

C v G 2017 SLT 1311

  • for the pusuer and respondent (with Simon Di Rollo QC) re Inner House reclaiming motion in civil action for damages for rape against professional footballers

Vaginal Mesh Litigation

  • for NHS Scotland in clinical negligence class action before the Court of Session

Contact Us

  • Compass Chambers
    Parliament House
    Edinburgh
    EH1 1RF