Peter Gray KC

Year of Call 1992 Year of Silk 2002

"Peter provides a silky smooth delivery of complex technical matters with ease"  "He is great on his feet." "Peter is superb with clients in the most difficult and serious cases."  Chambers UK 2022 (Ranked as a Star Individual).

"A stand out advocate in the health and safety field. He combines enormous experience with a calm and friendly manner. He has the ear of the court at all times." Legal 500 UK 2022 (Ranked as a Leading Silk).

Peter Gray is a leading practitioner in regulatory crime and, in particular, in the fields of health and safety, environmental and corporate financial prosecutions.

In the context of health and safety, and environmental crime Peter has been instructed to appear on behalf of corporate accused in the most serious prosecutions, statutory appeals and high profile Fatal Accident Inquiries and Public Inquiries in recent years.

In relation to financial crime Peter specialises in corporate fraud, tax fraud, VAT evasion, and bribery and money laundering offences and has been instructed in a number of the most significant financial crime cases including those relating to MTIC carousel fraud, offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and the Bribery Act 2010. In this area a significant part of Peter`s practice is also of an advisory nature, in particular with regard to potential corporate criminal liability arising in relation to anti money laundering obligations and associated matters, both domestically and internationally.

Representative Cases

2022: HMA v Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd:

Represented Bright Horizons FS Ltd in health and safety prosecution brought under Section 3 of the HSWA 1974 arising from the death by choking of an 11 month old baby whilst at Bright Horizons Nursery at Corstorphine, Edinburgh as a result of inadequate supervision whilst eating.

2022: HMA v HC-One Ltd:

Represented HC-One Ltd in health and safety prosecution brought under Section 3 of the HSWA 1974 arising from the death of a vulnerable resident (as a result of choking) at HC-One Care Home in Tullibody.  Fatal incident arose as a result of failure to provide adequate instruction to staff responsible for providing snacks to residents which met their dietary and medical needs.

2021: HMA v Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd:

Represented CHRLL Ltd in health and safety prosecution brought under Section 3 of the HSWA 1974 arising from the death of two guests following the outbreak of a fire at the Cameron House Hotel.

2020: The Sumburgh Fatal Accident Inquiry:

Representing Total E & P UK Ltd in Fatal Accident Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding crash of helicopter on approach to Sumburgh Airport in 2013 resulting in four fatalities.   

2019: HMA v BP Exploration Operating Company Limited  
Representing BP in health and safety prosecution brought under Section 3 of the HSWA 1974 arising from an uncontrolled hydrocarbon release at the Sullom Voe Terminal.  

2018: HMA v Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd
Representing SRM Ltd in prosecution brought under Section 2 of the HSWA 1974, Regulation 3 of the MHSW Regulations 1999 and Regulation 22 of the CDM Regulations 2007, arising from an incident In October 2013 when an employee of SRM Ltd lost his life in the course of his employment as a result of a fall from height which occurred during the course of the construction of the Glasgow School of Art.     

2017: HSE v Chevron North Sea Limited
Representing Chevron in appeal to the Supreme Court brought by HSE against decision of Inner House refusing appeal brought by HSE against decision of Employment Tribunal in appeal against Prohibition Notice brought under Section 24 HSWA 1974.  

2016: Scottish Power Generation Ltd v HMA   
Representing SPG in appeal against sentence imposed in relation to a breach of section 2 of HSWA 1974 relating to serious injuries sustained by employee as a result of a failure by SPG to keep in good repair an industrial valve. Appeal was first in which the Appeal Court in Scotland has had opportunity to consider whether 2016 Sentencing Guidelines Council of England Guidelines should be adopted in Scotland.   

Re Braid Group
Representing Braid in relation to civil settlement achieved pursuant to the Crown Office's self-reporting initiative following the introduction of the Bribery Act 2010. 

PF v Taqa Bratani Limited
Representing Taqa in environmental prosecution brought under Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005. 

PF v Sita UK Ltd
Represented Sita UK in relation to environmental prosecution brought under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999,and Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 regarding a landfill site and its control of leachate levels.

Contact Us

  • Compass Chambers
    Parliament House
    Edinburgh
    EH1 1RF