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 T v Congregation of Christian Brothers [2020] SCEDIN 13, 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.
With considerable experience in both the civil and criminal courts, Barney is accustomed to the demands of high-profile and complex cases involving large quantities of documentary evidence.