Mental health law conference

Amanda was the first solicitor in Scotland to be accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Specialist in both Mental Health Law and Incapacity and Mental Disability Law. She remains the only solicitor so accredited out with Glasgow and Edinburgh. She is a partner in private practice at McCash and Hunter LLP. She is an observer member of the Mental Health and Disability subcommittee of the Law Society of Scotland having previously been a full member for several years. She is the elected Law Society of Scotland Council member for the Sheriff Ct, District of Perth a member of the Law Society of Scotland's board and convener of the Society's rules waivers and guidance subcommittee. She is regularly appointed by the court as Safeguarder in Adults with Incapacity matters, as curator ad litem in relation to other civil law matters and by the Mental Health Tribunal as curator ad litem for patients subject to applications before the tribunal.

 Out with the legal profession she is Chair of Changing the Chemistry a Scotland headquartered charitable organisation whose aim is to build and develop a truly diverse community of people who, together through peer-to-peer support, can establish and deepen their board readiness, making a contribution to organisations by helping boards become more effective and productive. Amanda was also Chair of Mindspace a mental health charity which boasts the first independent recovery college in Scotland.

Jane Patrick is one of three In-house conveners at the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland (“the MHTS”). She was appointed as a convener to the MHTS in 2005 and sat on the first MHTS hearing in Scotland. She was appointed as an In-house convener in 2015.

Previously, Jane practised as an Advocate. Her work included personal injury and professional negligence cases. She has represented clients in the Court of Session, High Court, Sheriff Courts and at mediation. Between 2010 and 2015 Jane was junior counsel to the Penrose Inquiry, the public inquiry into infected blood and blood products.

Laura Dunlop qualified as a solicitor then spent two years as a Reporter to the Children’s Panel. Since calling to the Bar in 1989, she has practised in civil law, primarily in negligence and in public law, including mental health, where she has represented MHTS in a number of appeals. Laura became a QC in 2002, standing counsel to the Church of Scotland in 2005 and was appointed a part-time Law Commissioner in 2009. Her project at the Commission concerned the right to liberty of people with cognitive impairment. She has appeared in public inquiries, most recently as Counsel to the Penrose Inquiry into viral transmission by blood and blood products (2009 to 2015). She was appointed to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal in the summer of 2015, and became a legal member of the Mental Health Tribunal in 2016 and a deputy judge of the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) in 2018.

My full name is John Hugh McDiarmid Crichton and I am 51 years old.  My qualifications are as follows: I have a first class intercalated psychology degree and degrees in medicine and surgery, all from the University of Nottingham; I have a PhD in Criminology from the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge.  I have a certificate in Forensic Psychotherapy from the Portman Clinic in conjunction with the University of London; I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.  I appear on the General Medical Council's specialist register as a specialist in Forensic Psychiatry.
 
My principal appointment is Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, employed by NHS Lothian, based at the Orchard Clinic since 2000.  Prior to this I held full time clinical academic appointments at University of Cambridge (1997-8) and University of Edinburgh (1998-2000).  I have prepared numerous medico-legal reports involving all aspects of criminal work, restricted patient and civil work (personal injury, employment, General Medical Council, other professional bodies and mental health tribunal reports).  I have edited three books, authored 14 book chapters and 50 peer review papers on topics related to forensic psychiatry.  I was the clinical director for forensic services in NHS Lothian and in the past have served as Medical Director of the State Hospital and Forensic Mental Health Managed Clinical Care Network (the Forensic Network).  I am the National Training Programme Director for forensic psychiatry and am an Honorary Fellow of the school of law at University of Edinburgh.  I was the Chair of the Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry in Scotland 2012 - 2017.  In 2015, I became an honorary advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross, visiting prisons in China.  In 2017 I was elected Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and am Vice President of the UK College.

Laura Dunlop qualified as a solicitor then spent two years as a Reporter to the Children’s Panel. Since calling to the Bar in 1989, she has practised in civil law, primarily in negligence and in public law, including mental health, where she has represented MHTS in a number of appeals. Laura became a QC in 2002, standing counsel to the Church of Scotland in 2005 and was appointed a part-time Law Commissioner in 2009. Her project at the Commission concerned the right to liberty of people with cognitive impairment. She has appeared in public inquiries, most recently as Counsel to the Penrose Inquiry into viral transmission by blood and blood products (2009 to 2015). She was appointed to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal in the summer of 2015, and became a legal member of the Mental Health Tribunal in 2016 and a deputy judge of the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) in 2018.

Helen McGinty is a Principal in private practice, at Helen McGinty & Company. She provides advice and representation primarily in the fields of Mental Health and Incapacity law, to clients with mental health issues and their carers. After a number of years as a defence agent, Helen was the resident partner of Brown & Co. Solicitors, with responsibility for the Mental Health Legal Representation Project for Edinburgh and Lothians, of Legal Services Agency Ltd., for more than fifteen years. She is regularly appointed as Safeguarder and as curatrix ad litem at the Sheriff Court in Edinburgh, in Adults with Incapacity and other cases. She is a member of the AWI User Group at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, and a legal member of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland.