Friday, November 20th, 2026
Compass Chambers Annual Conference 2026
We are delighted to advise that registration is now open for our Annual Conference on Friday 20th November from 12:30pm until 5:30pm at the Balmoral Hotel.
Under the Law Society of Scotland's Guidelines, delegates may claim 3 hours of CPD time. The conference is open to all solicitors, in-house lawyers, trainees and paralegals.
The format of the Conference will be the same as previous years with a choice of 16 different talks available to choose from across 4 breakout sessions with talks from Compass members relating to our core areas of Reparation and Regulatory & Inquiries as well as more general, practical sessions. In addition, we once again have talks from guest experts and we are delighted they can join us.
There will be an admission fee of £120 per delegate to attend the Conference. £45 from each admission fee will be donated to our nominated charity for this year - CHAS (Children's Hospices Across Scotland).
BOOKING DETAILS
To reserve your place at the Conference please click here.
Whilst there is a large choice of talks available, more popular sessions may sell out quickly so book your place now to avoid disappointment. The line-up for this year is -
Breakout Session 1
The Law of the Mountains - David McNaughtan KC & Bruce Langlands
A Practical Guide to Deafness Cases - Mark Nicholson
An Update on Fatal Accident Inquiries - Emma Fraser KC & Aimée Doran
Road Traffic Collision Investigations - Gary Mackay, Forensic Collision Investigator, GBB (UK) Ltd
Breakout Session 2
Recent Developments in Clinical Negligence - Amber Galbraith KC & Carolyn McPhee
Group Proceedings Update - Adam Black
Causation of Injury in Health & Safety Prosecutions - Barney Ross KC & Jennifer Martinez Sillars
Brain Injuries in Sport - Professor Willie Stewart, Consultant Neuropathologist & Craig Murray KC
Breakout Session 3
Recent Developments in Claims under the Damages (Scotland) Act 2011 - Donald Mackay
Protection from Harassment Act 1997: Uses in civil damages claims and considerations when dealing with vulnerable witnesses - Elaine Smith
The Matrix Reloaded: Making Sense of Sentencing Guidelines in Road Traffic and Health & Safety cases - Murdo Macleod KC and Rebecca Osborne
Subjective symptoms and objective evidence: what can the medical expert really prove? - Jane McEachan, Consultant Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon
Breakout Session 4
Taking the Pain out of Pain Disorders - the Update - Tom Brownlee & Hugh Masters
No Scotland No Podcast: The fourth annual festive Thornley/Laing Personal Injuries Podcast - Steve Laing & Gavin Thornley
Environmental Prosecutions - Barry Smith KC & Iain Batho, Head of the Crown Office Wildlife & Environmental Crime Unit
Would you settle for less? Exploring the differences between registered and unregistered care - Anne Cossar DipCOT, DipRSA, Managing Director, Occupational Therapist and Care Consultant
The Conference will conclude with a drinks reception from 5:30pm to which all attendees are invited. If you have any questions or need any more information about the Conference, please don't hesitate to contact the clerking team.
