Church Procurator To Stand Down After 18 Years Service
(from www.churchofscotland.org.uk)
The Procurator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is standing down after 18 years in the role.
Laura Dunlop KC has provided invaluable "authoritative, incisive and practical legal advice" to successive General Assemblies as the 25th holder of a post that dates back to 1638.
Described as an "outstanding servant of the Church", the Advocate said she is stepping aside to give someone else the opportunity to serve and focus more on her role as the President of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland.
An elder at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Ms Dunlop has practised at the Bar for more than 30 years and has experience in the Sheriff Court, Court of Session, the House of Lords, European Court of Justice and within the sphere of Public Inquiries.
The first woman to serve as Procurator and the longest serving in modern times, Ms Dunlop was appointed by the General Assembly of 2005 but a court commitment meant that the first Assembly she took part in was 2006.
She will stand down as Procurator on the 31st of May after the General Assembly concludes its business and her successor will be announced shortly.
In a statement, Rev Dr Grant Barclay and Rev Fiona Smith, convener and secretary of the Church's Legal Questions Committee respectively, said: "Laura has been an exceptionally wise and calm source of valuable advice across a vast array of topics, covering both Church and civil law.
"She has provided superb legal representation to the Church in its occasional forays into litigation in the upper courts and has, at the other end of the scale, been assiduous in her attendance at, and contribution to, the meetings and work of the Legal Questions Committee and its various task groups as they have grappled with difficult legal matters.
"Her authoritative, incisive and practical legal advice to successive General Assemblies has been invaluable."
Dr Barclay and Mrs Smith said Ms Dunlop's "sense of humour has lifted many a dry meeting".
"She has a wonderful store of enlightening and apposite phrases which she produces as required such as - ‘It is the difference that makes the difference'," they added.
"All of her work for the Church has been underpinned by her personal faith, her empathetic understanding of the context in which the work of the Church is carried out and her detailed legal knowledge.
"We have been fortunate to have, in Laura, such an outstanding servant of the Church.
"She will be greatly missed, in particular by those who have worked most closely with her and have most cause to be grateful to her - the Principal and Depute Clerks, the Solicitor and the convener of the Legal Questions Committee."
Born in Glasgow, Ms Dunlop's storied career includes serving as Junior Counsel for all parents during the Dunblane Inquiry and Senior Counsel to the Penrose Inquiry into viral transmission by blood and blood products and as a part-time Law Commissioner.
Ms Dunlop said she has thoroughly enjoyed her role at the General Assembly over the years despite not being called to speak very often.
"There have been some great moments," she recalled.
"I had the privilege of being on the platform with Desmond Tutu when he spoke at the Assembly of 2009 which is still available on YouTube and highly recommended.
"Thank you for having me throughout the last 18 years, Church of Scotland.
"Long may you generally assemble."