Following a constructive meeting between representatives of the
Edinburgh Bar Association (EBA) and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service we
have agreed that it is unfortunate that the recent events in Edinburgh Sheriff
Court on 30 October, concerning a Solicitor attending on
behalf of EBA members, have impacted on the courts and the excellent
relationship between the parties. We wish to restore the previous good working
relationship between justice partners.
The incident was
unprecedented and there are clearly lessons to be learned from it. Whilst the
specific facts remain subject to further enquiry, it is agreed that the
potential for any future similar incident should be avoided through early
communication and engagement between justice partners.
We also agree that the
discussions in the public forum over the last few days have been unhelpful in
drawing the issue created by the recent events to a resolution. The EBA are
satisfied that SCTS did not intend to imply that the Solicitor in question misrepresented
the events.
We would encourage all to
recommence working together in the spirit of collaboration.