THE MIGRATION DEBATE

The WS Society’s Symposium on Immigration and Asylum Law took place on 18 May, supported by Burness Paull. The programme addressed the human consequences of the migration crisis and how to improve global mobility. Bringing together lawyers, policy makers, academics, business and third sector leaders, discussions were knowledgeable, informed and compassionate. The keynote address with given by the Hon Lord Richardson, who was followed by further expert speakers from across the UK. In the evening the Signet Library was transformed into an atmospheric cinema for a screening of the award-winning documentary ‘Through Our Eyes’, a moving account of the human voices behind displacement by war. After the screening the audience were engaged by a memorable conversation between the journalist, Joyce McMillan and the film’s director, Samir Mehanović.

Grace McGill WS, chaired the legal sessions. An extract from Grace’s opening remarks, follows:

“When we staged our first conference on Immigration Law four years ago, as we were coming to terms with lockdown, I made mention of the extraordinary and interesting times in which we found ourselves. We were on the cusp of Brexit, adjusting to the reality of Covid and lockdown and an abundance of new Immigration Acts and rules introduced aimed at modernising our Immigration system in the post Brexit era to attract the best and brightest to the UK with the expansion of the points-based routes for migration. We thought those to be the most challenging of times.

We now face even more challenges which would have been unimaginable then… the war in Ukraine, war in Sudan, humanitarian disasters in Syria and Turkey and a plethora of Government measures, such as the Rwanda Asylum policy , Berthed tankers AKA Floatels , being for the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers and of course, the Illegal Migration Bill. And were this not enough to contend with, the Immigration minister Robert Jenrick told the House of Commons in February that the Home Office was ‘monitoring the activities’ of immigration lawyers. While the Home Office sought to clarify the statement saying that the Home Office only ensures that firms raising immigration matters have the correct regulatory credentials, the Immigration Law Practitioners Association pointed out that simply checking if people are regulated is one thing, ‘but the hyperbole is very concerning, and the rhetoric can be dangerous’, asserting there have been previous attacks against the legal community by the Government.

The Government has recorded crossings of the Channel by migrants rose to 45,000 last year. To put this into context, the research briefing paper from the House of Commons in April reports that, whilst the UK received almost 75,000 asylum applications last year — the highest annual figure since 2002 and that excludes applications from Ukrainian nationals who arrived in the UK under Home Office schemes — they place the UK fifth in terms of asylum applications in Europe in 2022 – behind Germany, France, Spain and Austria, with Germany receiving approximately two-and-a-half times the number of applications of the UK. There are complicated dynamics driving irregular migration and discriminatory narratives simply perpetuate harmful stereotypes and contributes to a climate of hostility.

Similarly, whilst the Rwanda policy and the Illegal Migration Bill are considered justified to assert of UK borders, it can be seen as contributing to the dehumanisation of asylum seekers, while ignoring important factors such as the contribution refugees make to UK society and how the lack of safe, legal routes for seeking asylum in the UK drives small boat arrivals.

Various stakeholders such as the Law Society of Scotland and of England and Wales, Faculty and Bar Council , the UN and Amnesty International, Just Right Scotland and most recently the Archbishop of Canterbury, have all raised concerns over the passing of the Bill and the effect of undermining access to justice, removing judicial scrutiny of executive action and incompatibility with Human Rights obligations. We will indeed have an interesting overview this afternoon from our panellists which is of course followed by the exclusive screening of an award-winning documentary charting the human catastrophe of the Syrian conflict, followed by a conversation with the film’s director, Samir Mehanović.”

Photos by Albie Clark

HIS MAJESTY’S CORONATION

1L-R: John Stirling WS, Ormond Pursuivant; Prof Gillian Black, Linlithgow Pursuivant Extraordinary; and, Adam Bruce WS, Marchmont Herald. Photograph taken in Westminster Hall prior to the Coronation of HM King Charles III.

Among the pomp and pageantry of the Coronation on 6 May were two Writers to the Signet, both Officers of Arms in the Royal Household, namely, Marchmont Herald The Hon Adam Bruce WS, and Ormond Pursuivant John Stirling WS. Both Officers of Arms featured in the procession and ceremonials in Westminster Abbey. The Marchmont Herald is named after the royal castle more commonly known as Roxburgh Castle, now a ruin. The earliest reference to the Marchmont Herald is 1478. Ormond Pursuivant is believed to have been created in 1488, when James III created his second son Marquess of Ormond. When not attending royal ceremonials, Adam holds a senior management position in a global energy company, and John Stirling is a partner of Gillespie Macandrew. 

CORONATION EXHIBITION

To mark the Coronation celebrations on 6 May, James Hamilton has curated a small exhibition drawn from the Society’s historical collection of records and memorabilia associated with past Coronations, available to view in the upper west library. The collection includes remarkable records from the Coronations of James II in1685, Queen Mary in 1911 and George VI in 1937. Also featured is a photograph of a young Queen Elizabeth II, pictured in the lower library on her first visit to the Signet Library, just after her own Coronation in 1953. All welcome to browse the exhibits, available until the end of May.

THE MIGRATION DEBATE

As the global migration crisis intensifies, and the spotlight is honed again on the UK with the introduction of the Illegal Migration Bill to Parliament, the WS Society is partnering with Burness Paull to produce an inaugural Immigration and Asylum Symposium on 18 May 2023.  Building on the success of past legal conferences in Immigration Law, the symposium is designed for legal practitioners and other professionals active in immigration and asylum policy in Scotland. The keynote address will be given by The Honourable Lord Richardson, Chair of the Immigration and Asylum Users Group at the Court of Session.  The programme continues with further expert speakers covering legal developments, policy expansion and the migrant’s and refugee’s experience. Full details and booking here. 

'LAWYER OF THE MONTH'

First reported in Scottish Legal News (12 April 2023) https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/lawyer-of-the-month-robert-pirrie-ws. Written by Jimmy Black.

Jimmy Black meets corporate lawyer Robert Pirrie WS, chief executive and in-house lawyer of the Society of Writers to the Signet.

Deep in the cellars of the Signet Library, there are caverns with sturdy doors, guarding some of the Scottish legal profession’s most fascinating historical treasures. There are stacks of original court papers, centuries old, detailing criminal cases and much else. When Robert Pirrie was studying for his masters degree, he would find 18th century legal papers recording a trial in one cellar, then search in the cellar next door for contemporary newspaper accounts of the case.

“I had quite a few ‘bingo’ moments, when I hit on a newspaper report of the legal case I was reading. Online news archives are phenomenal, but getting the physical newspaper gives you a different feeling; you get a much better idea of what else was being reported at the time.” Let’s hope people are reading our Scottish Legal News reports in three hundred years.

After 18 years in the job, Robert’s enthusiasm for the Society, the Signet Library and Scots law in general is undiminished. Along with his colleagues he is leading change to ensure that the Society remains relevant, useful, and well-funded. There are challenges. The Signet Library offers a highly-rated CPD conference programme and professional research facilities to lawyers working on current cases. The Society also provides administrative services to other charities, helping them lower their running costs and help with marketing by, for example, building their websites.

To undertake these activities, the Society employs an executive of three lawyers — a trainee, a principal researcher, an administrative manager — and support team. Working with the Society’s trustees, the executive meets regularly with a representative council of members to discuss strategy and initiatives.

In his spare time, Robert is finishing a history PhD at King’s College London. More of that later, but as chief executive of the Writers to the Signet (WS), he is wonderfully placed to explore the thousands of books which line the Library’s walls, and sift through centuries of Scotland’s legal history. But this resource is not exclusive to Writers to the Signet. He wants other lawyers, academic researchers, even journalists to come and do the same.

“For me, heritage and history are really important. I felt that to do my job here, I needed to have a much better understanding of historical studies, and how the resources we’ve got here can be used, their relevance to academic historians and so forth. So I’ve become a kind of mix of lawyer and historian, and I think that’s what the Society needs.”

No-one has to become a Writer to the Signet but many still do. In the past the Society laid down standards which its members had to follow, but in 1949 the regulatory role of the Writers to the Signet passed to the newly-established Law Society. Historically the only route to a Court of Session action was through a Writer to the Signet. The Society was relieved of that function in 1976. Membership remains core to the Society and Robert and his team are particularly encouraged by the number of younger lawyers and law students who want to join.

“When I first came here,” says Robert, “the building was this kind of sacred place for legal research. But there was nobody here, because technology was changing things. The days when this place would be full of lawyers coming to sit at desks, and messengers coming to borrow books, were over. So the Society had to look at how to repurpose the building.”

This is a very special building. The Upper Library was built in 1822, just in time for King George IV to marvel at “the finest drawing room in Europe”.

Stepping into the entrance hall brings immediate relief from the noisy hubbub generated by hundreds of tourists outside. The staff are polite, formal but very welcoming.

Important men who once wielded great power stare at you out of magnificent paintings by Scotland’s premier artists; women also take their place on the walls, perhaps most notably Amal Clooney, international barrister and human rights lawyer who became a Fellow of the WS in 2021.

“The big change that we’ve made in recent years,” says Robert, “is to welcome the public into the building. We want to open it up, let people in, and we want to do that with the historic collections as well, and allow people access to all the treasures that we’ve got here.”

So Robert, the Society’s trustees and executive set out a strategy — called “New Enlightenment” — to change the perception of the Society, get back to its original public benefit principles, deal with practical questions such as energy efficiency and also develop the full potential of the building. The Writers to the Signet had been constituted as a corporation at common law, one of the earliest forms of incorporated bodies. “Institutional writers recognised that we were there for public benefit, providing access to the resources which properly qualified, validated lawyers need to give good legal advice.”

The first obvious evidence of the opening up of the Signet is an afternoon tea salon in the Library. There’s no music, noisy coffee machines or self-service counters, only people sitting round tables enjoying civilised conversations. Staff bring them sandwiches, savouries and cakes on silver tea stands. The building is a venue for weddings, conferences, events, private dining … it’s a very classy business which earns money for one of Scotland’s A-listed architectural gems.

Charities exist for public benefit; it seemed logical that the Society would adopt a more modern model, restate its purposes and become eligible for new sources of funds to invest in the building. Now the Society exists to (1) advance and disseminate knowledge and education in law and legal practice for public benefit; promoting high standards of expertise and professional conduct; (2) advance the arts, heritage and culture through the Signet Library and its collections; and (3) promote equality and diversity and advance citizenship and community development.

Back in the pressured environment of the 1990s and early 2000s, Robert was a hard-working corporate lawyer who tried to build a rapport with the agents on the other side of a transaction, and the clients. “There were lots of late nights, working in that era; unfortunately my career hit a period where if you had to stay up all night, you did that. So you’d often find yourself in a boardroom at three in the morning, and that’s when people are getting a bit ragged and the rapport comes in.”

Robert was head of private equity in one of the big four law firms, part of a global professional services organisation and business took him to Los Angeles, Milan, Barcelona, Paris and New York. Clients varied from Versace to 3i to the Church Commissioners for England.

Robert explains his understanding of the law like this: “It’s about trying to control the world with words. Obviously, you’ve got contracts and statutory law, but then you go 180 degrees the other way and it’s maybe persuading people with an email or a letter. It’s all about how you use language.

“Some lawyers can be quite rigid about how they use words. And sometimes they can use words quite insensitively in situations. And I think the best lawyers are constantly reading the situation and reading people, and adjusting how they communicate accordingly.”

Technology has helped lawyers become more efficient, but Robert still stresses that the proportionate use of words is vital. “When PCs came in it multiplied the number of issues that you can have in a contractual situation. You know, when the contract was typed out by a typist, it could only be so long and there could only be so many issues that you could argue about. It’s still incredibly important that a contract, or whatever, is proportionate to the matter in hand … you know anyone can wheel out a hundred-page contract and throw it at the other side.”

I mentioned earlier that Robert will soon complete a PhD. The title is “Imagined Monarchy: Constructing North Britain, 1746-1830”. This was the time when Edinburgh’s aristocrats, wealthy merchants, judges, even Writers to the Signet left the hoi polloi in the Old Town and populated the elegant terraces of the New Town. Public buildings such as the Exchange (now the City Chambers) and the Signet Library itself appeared and the city became fit to offer hospitality to the monarch, who was greatly impressed.

Philosophers such as David Hume thrived in the Scottish Enlightenment; literary figures such as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott were internationally acclaimed and in the absence of a Parliament, lawyers such as Henry Dundas largely ran the country. There was the judge and philosopher Lord Monboddo, who Robert says rode on horseback to London every year, to meet the King. It was a fascinating time. But why do lawyers need to understand history? And why should they join the Society?

“What being a WS signifies today is that a belief that history, continuity and Scottish legal heritage is important. That makes you a more interesting lawyer. You’re not just looking at your daily work, but you’re also interested in history and broader society. I genuinely believe that makes better lawyers, that’s a personal credo of mine.”

It’s not just history. “I tell younger lawyers to read, read everything, read history, read novels. For me 19th century literature is a kind of early psychology, basically. And Trollope, Dickens, Austen – there’s just so much in Dickens. I’m a big fan of Walter Scott, he’s much misunderstood. He was a lawyer, an advocate, not a WS, but his father was a WS and Scott served an apprenticeship with him.”

It’s a far cry from arguing over contract terms in the middle of a dark Edinburgh, Glasgow or London night, but Robert is completely at home at the helm of such a diverse organisation. I asked this quite reserved and very courteous Edinburgh lawyer if he loved the building. He had no hesitation.

“I absolutely love this building. I love this institution. There’s nothing like it. It’s an incredible building to work with, and the people who work here, everybody gets it, there’s a magic, a charisma. If buildings can have charisma, this building has got it. It’s a very special place to work and it’s a genuine privilege to work here.”

A HILL AND ADAMSON ALBUM AT THE SIGNET LIBRARY

On 31st March photographic historians joined Writers to the Signet and their guests at a private event to mark the conservation and preservation of an extraordinary Scottish photographic pioneer: Robert Adamson and David Octavius Hill’s 1846 Series of Calotype Views of St. Andrews. Since its re-emergence as part of a re-cataloguing project in October, the volume has been in the care of WS Society conservator Jo Hockey, who has taken it through a programme of careful cleaning, stabilisation, interleaving and rehousing which has set it up for its next 180 years of life. The event combined a drinks reception with an exhibition drawn from the Signet Library’s collections of historic photography, and guests also had the option of attending a short talk about the volume. Hill and Adamson – and their assistant, Jessie Mann (now acknowledged as the world’s first female photographer) worked from a studio on Calton Hill in the mid-1840s and at a time when photography was supposedly in its infancy produced a body of work that carries charisma, presence, artistic achievement and documentary power undiminished into the present day. The album is one of six known complete copies, the only one to carry contemporary provenance and to reside in Edinburgh. It retains its original binding and the full roster of 25 calotypes, and is most likely to have been bought directly from David Octavius Hill in 1849 by the then Librarian to the Signet, historian and bibliographer David Laing, who had himself been a sitter for Hill and Adamson.

THE WS ANNUAL DINNER

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend our most exclusive event of the year. Bookings are now open for the WS Annual Dinner, on Friday 10 November. You can either reserve individual tickets or book a table of 10.

Price is £125 plus vat per person. This includes a champagne reception, three-course dinner, accompanied by fine wines.

We will announce the name of the guest speaker closer to the date.

 
 

UPCOMING DIET OF ADMISSION

We are looking forward to June where we will welcome 25 new members of different categories joining the Society, and their families and friends celebrating this special occasion at the Signet Library.

Affiliate members can benefit from the newly established LexAlba Masterclass at no extra cost. LexAlba Masterclass is currently available in four practice areas; Commercial Dispute Resolution, Employment, Private Client and Immigration. LexAlba qualifies as CPD and TCPD under the Law Society of Scotland’s regime. For more information on LexAlba please visit our website.

Student members will be invited to exclusive events throughout the year, including Speed Networking and Adventures in Law. The events are aimed at providing face-to-face meetings with Writers to the Signet and lawyers from a cross section of roles who will share their career synopses and tips with the students.

The WS Society has two Diet of Admissions throughout the year, in June and November. The next Diet of Admission is scheduled for Tuesday 6 June at the Signet Library. We are still welcoming new applications for the June Diet and if you know anyone who would be interested in becoming a member, please contact our membership team at membership@wssociety.co.uk with any enquiry.

 
 

STUDENT SERIES

Aiming to create opportunities for student members to network with practitioners, our 2023 Student Series launched with an evening of Speed Networking. 

Samantha Sloan (first year Trainee Solicitor at the WS Society) explains: ‘Our Speed Networking event returned to the Signet Library for the first time since 2019 following a few years of online events. We were delighted to welcome 13 students and 10 practitioners on the night. This event is always popular with students as it provides an informal setting to network with members of the profession and hear about the wide range of careers available to law graduates. Our thanks go to the professionals who have helped support the next generation of lawyers as they progress through their legal education and to abrdn for sponsoring the event’.

‘[T]he quality of the people we met was very high and they were genuinely excited about their futures in the legal profession. Great hope for the future.’ - Malcolm Mackay WS

The series will continue with Adventures in Law in September.

If you are a WS member who would like to get involved in the Student Series or a student who would like to learn more about upcoming events, please reach out to Samantha Sloan at ssloan@wssociety.co.uk.

 
 

CPD FOR LITIGATORS

Sixty delegates have already registered for the WS Personal Injury Law Conference on 4 May. The conference is a dedicated legal and technical update for Scottish PI practitioners. Sheriff Robert Fife will make the keynote address, sharing his views on the future of PI actions in ASPIC. The comprehensive programme covers a wide variety of topics from developments in QOCS from both the Pursuer and Defender perspectives to PI trusts, case management and Robert Milligan KC’s popular review of quantum case law. We are also pleased to welcome Dr Caroline Whymark, NHS Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management, to review developments in this area of medicine for a legal audience. The conference will be chaired by Matt Leckie WS (Digby Brown).

Thanks for sponsors Compass Chambers, JS Parker Ltd and 123 Medical Services.

All welcome to attend. More details and online booking here.

 
 

INSTITUTE OF REGULATION

The charity services team has been appointed to provide support to the directors of the UK wide Institute of Regulation. The Institute was established in 2021, as a non-profit organisation, to foster and accelerate professionalism in the discipline of regulation. With a strong first year completed, the Institute now has 30 corporate members and over 200 individual regulation professionals subscribed. Activities centre on building a community around best practice in regulation, education and training, special interest groups and opportunities to contribute to regulatory policy. The Institute is chaired by Marcial Boo, Chief Executive of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Marcial’s fellow directors are an accomplished group of leading UK regulatory professionals. The Institute’s overriding objective is to contribute to social and economic prosperity through appropriate and well managed regulation. Learn more about the Institute’s work here . 

 
 
 
 

SIGNET LIBRARY CINEMA

Join us for a special screening of the award-winning documentary Through Our Eyes, at the Signet Library on 18 May 2023, followed by a conversation with the film’s BAFTA and IDFA winning director Samir Mehanović.

In sequences filmed over four years, Samir gives a personal insight into the human catastrophe of the Syrian conflict. A Muslim refugee himself, Samir fled Bosnia in the 1990s and settled in the UK. Drawing on his own experience of claiming asylum, he travels to meet Syrian refugees in camps, on trains and in their new countries of exile, to understand the lives of families fleeing their homes. Featuring original music by renowned British composer, Nigel Osborne MBE, Through Our Eyes is a vivid examination of the consequences of war and displacement, which western media often fail to convey. Samir’s documentary has renewed applicability to the dangers and adversity now facing the people of Ukraine.

Following the screening, Samir with be in conversation with Joyce McMillan. Joyce is theatre critic of The Scotsman, and also writes a political and social commentary column for the paper. Joyce has been involved in many campaigns for democracy and human rights, both in Scotland and internationally.

This event is open to all and coincides with the WS Society’s Immigration and Asylum Symposium on the same date – more information and booking for the Symposium here.

Film tickets: £10.00

 
 

LEXALBA MASTERCLASS

Last month The WS Society launched an exciting new programme for its affiliate members.

LexAlba Masterclass is designed as a practical, enjoyable and sociable network of practice area groups, where WS affiliates can develop their careers in a specialist practice area, meeting, sharing experience and learning under the guidance of recognised leaders in each field.

At launch, the groups are:

  • Commercial Dispute Resolution

  • Employment

  • Private Client

  • Immigration

Sessions will be hybrid and accessible to Trainee Solicitors and Solicitors across Scotland.

Employment group leader, Jennifer Skeoch WS says ‘This is a wonderful opportunity for those with specialist interests to hone their skills and network with other dynamic and engaging professionals. We can’t wait!’

Please encourage any junior lawyers in your network to consider applying. Application for Affiliate membership and for LexAlba can be submitted at the same time.

For more information, please visit our website or contact Sophie Mills (smills@wssociety.co.uk) with any enquiries.

 
 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CONFERENCE

On Thursday 27 April the WS Society’s annual IP Conference returns to provide a varied and lively technical update in IP law, policy and regulation.

Topics include issues and developments in media law, updates on technology licensing and the rise of AI and ChatGPT. The top 3 IP decisions of 2022/23 will also be presented.

This year’s keynote address will be given by Commercial Court Judge, Lord Braid who will provide his view from the Bench.

Other speakers include:

  • The Hon Lord Braid

  • David Woods (Partner, Pinsent Masons)

  • Fiona McAllister (Senior Lawyer, Channel 4)

  • Joanna Boag-Thomson (Partner, Shepherd + Wedderburn)

  • Usman Tariq (Advocate, Ampersand Advocates)

  • JJ Shaw (Partner, Lewis Silkin)

  • Noëlle Pearson (Trade Mark Attorney, Marks & Clerk LLP)

For conference rates and booking details, please visit here

 
 

PAINTED WOLVES: A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

The WS Society and the Trustees of the Painted Wolf Foundation invite you to join us for an evening at the Signet Library, to learn about the incredible painted wolves, made famous in David Attenborough’s BBC series, Dynasties.

Award winning wildlife photographer and author, Nicholas Dyer will discuss his experiences with these remarkable creatures, his acclaimed book and report, and projects the Painted Wolf Foundation is currently supporting to conserve and protect the future of this critically endangered species.

The painted wolf is a unique and remarkable creature, led by alpha females. Yet, for the last 10 years the species has endured an outrageous onslaught which has seen their population decrease to only 6,500, making them Africa’s second most endangered carnivore.

Nick has spent the last seven years following packs of painted wolves on foot, in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe and will showcase a collection of photographs he captured of the packs at the event. Each photograph has a story which brings to life the captivating and mysterious world of the painted wolves and the lives of those around them.

This event is run in aid of the Painted Wolf Foundation (UK charity 1176674).

 
 

ALMANAC COLLECTION

We're nearing completion of the cataloguing, conservation and reshelving of the Almanac Collection of The WS Society.

These tiny books rarely survive, being literal ephemera, they were printed and updated annually and tended to be discarded. Almanacs have been used for hundreds of years, originally as a calendar with significant religious days, solar/lunar and astronomical calculations.

Astrology was a natural progression, and Almanacs became very popular for their ‘prognostications’, folklore, and home remedies for illnesses.

By the C18, Scottish Almanacs were removed of all predictions, folk remedies and suchlike, and included a wealth of local information, who’s who in Scotland, fold out maps, topical illustrations.

They were particularly popular with Scottish landowners, farmers, smallholders etc, having an accurate calendar with which to plan their years activities.

This was the height of the Scottish Agricultural Revolution, the ‘Improvers’, many of whom were part of the legal profession and forms the background to the most interesting volumes in the Collection.

At the time, Almanacs were published with many blank pages intended for handwritten notes and many of our C18 volumes have extensive legal, personal and agricultural notes in tiny handwriting. We’ve been able to identify several of the owners, revealing the social and professional connections between the families as they were passed down over the last two centuries.

An upcoming online exhibition will feature some of the most unusual and fascinating examples in the collection.

 
 

IMMIGRATION & ASYLUM SYMPOSIUM

A new addition to the Society’s legal education programme, the inaugural WS Immigration and Asylum Symposium launches at the Signet Library on 18 May 2023. Coinciding with the UNHCR’s recent announcement that 1 in every 30 people in the world is a migrant, and the evolution in Scottish immigration policy over recent months, the symposium will cover developments in law and policy for practioners in this area. The keynote address will be given by the Honourable Lord Richardson. Lord Richardson will be joined by conference chair Grace McGill WS (Burness Paull) and five further expert speakers. The symposium’s programme will move across topics from effective humanitarian protection to the business and educational benefits of successful immigration systems. The programme will also include the unique lived experience input of Ukrainian lawyers in Scotland.

The event will conclude with a cultural element in the early evening, with the screening of the award-winning documentary ‘Through Our Eyes’, followed by live Q&A with the documentary’s director, Samir Mehanović. Samir is a Bosnian and British BAFTA and IDFA winning director, who came to Edinburgh as an immigrant from the war in the Balkans in 1995. His moving documentary shares experiences of current refugees. Samir will be in conversation with Joyce McMillan, social and political columnist with The Scotsman. With thanks to sponsors, Burness Paull LLP.

Register your interest for the symposium here.

Book tickets for the film screening here.

 
 

WS SUMMER SCHOLARS

Applications for the Society's Summer Law Scholarship programme 2023 are now open.

Designed for law students to enhance their professional and personal development, this is a unique opportunity for participants to spend two weeks as a WS Summer Scholar with the resources of the Signet Library at their fingertips.

Now a well-established programme empowering participants to raise their profile and sharpen their research and presentation skills in preparation for the world of legal work.

Participants will join a team-based research project on a contemporary legal issue, working towards a digital presentation to external delegates and written report for publication.

The programme is open to 3rd and 4th year students from the four year LLB undergraduate degree, 2nd year students from the accelerated LLB Degree and Diploma students.

For further information and how to apply please see here.

 
 

WORLD FIRST RESURFACES

In the daily life of the Signet Library, rare discoveries are still being made. In October 2022, a rare and unrecorded work by the pioneering mid-nineteenth-century Edinburgh photography studio of Hill and Adamson was found among the shelves of the upper library. A Series of Calotype Views of St Andrews of 1846 was the world’s first photographic work devoted to the architecture of a single place. After careful conservation work, the album will be the centrepiece of an event to be held at the Signet Library in March 2023 as part of the post—Covid returning Edinburgh Rare Books Festival.

Only seven complete copies of Calotype Views are known to survive worldwide, and the Signet Library’s volume is the only one to be found in Edinburgh. It is in superb condition and contains some of the best surviving examples of Hill and Adamson’s work, a wonderful primary source not only in the history of early photography but of immense value to social and architectural historians. At the March event, there will be a talk surveying scholarship around the making of this album, placing it in the wider context of Hill and Adamson’s photographic partnership and the social world of artistic Edinburgh and Scotland in the 1840s. Accompanying the talk, there will be a display featuring a selection from the Signet Library’s collection of historic photography.