Ruth Charteris

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Ruth Charteris KC
Official portrait, 2021
Solicitor General for Scotland
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 June 2021
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon Humza Yousaf
Lord Advocate	Dorothy Bain KC
Preceded by	Alison Di Rollo
Personal details
Born	Ruth Barbara Charteris 1973 (age 50–51) Glasgow, Scotland
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	University of Glasgow
Occupation	Advocate
Profession	Lawyer

Ruth Barbara Charteris KC (born 1973) is a Scottish advocate who has served as Solicitor General for Scotland since 2021. In addition to being the Solicitor General for Scotland, she has been a legally qualified chair of the Scottish Social Services Council since 2017, ^[1] and has served as Chair of the Fitness to Practice Panel of the SSSC since 2017. ^[2]

Early life and education

Born in 1973 in Glasgow, Charteris studied at the University of Glasgow School of Law, where she gained an LL.B (Hons) and a diploma in legal practice. ^[3]

Career

Early legal career

Charteris was admitted as an advocate in 2000 and came to the Bar on completion of her post as Legal Assistant to the Lord President of the Court of Session. Charteris served as an ad hoc Advocate Depute from 2010 to 2016. She served as a Standing Junior to the Scottish Government from 2012 and Second Standing Junior to the Scottish Government from 2016 to 2020. ^[4] After her appointment as Queen's Counsel, she served as a full-time Advocate Depute from 2020 until her appointment as Solicitor General. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Scottish Social Services Council

Charteris has been a legally qualified chair of the Scottish Social Services Council since 2017. ^[8] She has been Chair of the Fitness to Practice Panel of the SSSC since 2017. ^[9]

Solicitor General, 2021–present

Charteris alongside Dorothy Bain KC, following their appointment as Scotland's law officers at the Court of Session, June 2021

Appointment

On 16 June 2021 the Scottish Government announced that Nicola Sturgeon had recommended Charteris to the Scottish Parliament for appointment as Solicitor General for Scotland by The Queen. ^[10] Her nomination as Solicitor General for Scotland was approved by the Scottish Parliament on 17 June 2021. ^[11]

The appointment of Charteris to the post of Solicitor General for Scotland, and Dorothy Bain KC to the position of Lord Advocate marks the first time that both of Scotland's top law officers have been held by two women at the same time. On nominating Charteris for Solicitor General, nominating First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament she was "extremely pleased to be seeking parliament’s agreement to recommend Dorothy Bain QC and Ruth Charteris QC as Scotland’s law officers", citing Charteris' career as "a Standing Junior to the Scottish Government from 2012 and was Second Standing Junior to the Scottish Government from 2016 – 2020. On taking Silk she moved into Crown Office to become a full-time Advocate Depute" as one of the reasons for her nomination.

Duties

Sturgeon acknowledged that both "Ms Bain and Ms Charteris will take their posts at a time of unprecedented challenge, given the political climate and given that threats to the rule of law have been experienced across the globe". ^[12]

She was selected as the annual speaker at the Annual Reflections Lecture at the Edinburgh Foundation for Women in Law event. ^[13] In 2023, as Solicitor General for Scotland, she was instructed by First Minister Humza Yousaf to "fully investigate" claims that the Scottish Government had not handed over WhatsApp communications and text messages which were exchanged between senior government officials during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland, following claims made during the United Kingdom Covid-19 inquiry. Yousaf had claimed that it was his "understanding" that all messages required had been handed over. ^[14]

Controversies

In May 2023, the Scottish Government received criticism after it was reported that both Charteris and the Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain, had travelled abroad on official business. Charteris was found to have gone to both Mauritius and Italy, whilst Bain flew to Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria, at a cost of £1,430 to the taxpayer. Charteris' trips cost the taxpayer £7,228, with the Scottish Government insisting that this "represented good value for money", as it "boosted Scotland's international profile". ^[15]

See also

• Law Officers of the Crown
• King's Counsel, of which Charteris is a member

References

1. "Panel posts for Faculty twelve", Scottish Legal News, 22 December 2017.
2. "Ruth Charteris | Arnot Manderson Advocates". 24 February 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
3. "Ruth B Charteris", Faculty of Advocates [archived version, 3 August 2020]
4. "Ruth Charteris QC". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
5. "Ten new Queen’s Counsel named", Law Society of Scotland, 15 September 2020.
6. Merson, Adele. "Dorothy Bain QC nominated Scotland's new Lord Advocate". The Courier. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
7. "New Silk Ruth Charteris QC in Crown Office Move", Arnot Manderson Advocates, 17 September 2020.
8. "Panel posts for Faculty twelve", Scottish Legal News, 22 December 2017.
9. "Ruth Charteris | Arnot Manderson Advocates". 24 February 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
10. "Women to hold Scotland’s top legal posts for first time", STV News, 16 June 2021.
11. "Sturgeon commits to examine splitting lord advocate dual role", Glasgow Herald, 17 June 2021
12. "Ruth Charteris QC appointed Solicitor General". Arnot Manderson Advocates. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
13. "Solicitor General to deliver Edinburgh Foundation for Women in Law lecture". Scottish Legal. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
14. "Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf to 'fully investigate' concerns messages not handed to UK COVID Inquiry". sky.news.com. Sky News. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
15. "Scottish Government law officer enjoyed taxpayer-funded sunshine trip to Mauritius". Scottish Daily Express. Retrieved 2 January 2024.