Barney Ross is an advocate specialising in reparation, regulatory and criminal law. With considerable experience of conducting litigation in both the civil and criminal courts, Barney is accustomed to the demands of high-profile cases involving complex issues and large quantities of documentary evidence.
In his civil practice, Barney is instructed for both pursuers and defenders in a wide range of litigation within the field of reparation. He has a particular expertise in industrial disease. Barney regularly acts on behalf of Health Boards in clinical negligence matters, including the Vaginal Mesh “class action” in the Court of Session. He is often instructed in fatal claims. Recent instructions have included C v G 2017 SLT 1311, where he appeared as junior counsel for the pursuer at the reclaiming motion in a civil action for damages for rape and Hunter’s Executrix Nominate v The Advocate General for Scotland 2016 SLT 1287, a debate on a novel question of statutory construction arising from the Damages (Scotland) Act 2011. In 2017 he represented the family of the deceased in a Fatal Accident Inquiry into a fatality on the new Queensferry Crossing construction site.
In his criminal and regulatory practice, Barney is instructed in matters of complexity relating to health and safety, environmental, maritime, fisheries protection, food hygiene, road traffic and proceeds of crime legislation. He was part of the team that successfully defended a doctor in a major prosecution under the Terrorism Acts. Recent instructions in 2018 have included the defence of a distillery charged with legionella related contraventions of health and safety legislation and the defence of a director of a waste management company prosecuted for alleged environmental offences.
Prior to calling to the bar, Barney was a Procurator Fiscal Depute with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.