F McMenamin

Frances J. McMenamin K.C.

Year of Call: 1985

Year of Silk: 1998

Black Chambers

Qualifications

B.A. University of Strathclyde

LL.B University of Strathclyde

Special interests

Criminal

Health & Safety

Public and fatal accident inquiries

Clerks

Stable telephone number

0131 260 5829

Lee-Anne Black

Emma Stoker

Steven Burns

Biography

Since admission to the Faculty in June 1985, Frances has practised almost exclusively in criminal law.

In addition to her work as defence counsel, mostly in the High Court, her highly regarded experience has led, over the years, to a number of appointments. Since 1991, she has been a visiting lecturer at The Scottish Police College. She was a Temporary Sheriff from 1991 until her appointment as an Advocate Depute in 1997. From then until 2000, she prosecuted High Court trials and represented the Crown in the Appeal Court. Thereafter she returned to establish a very busy practise in the High Court as Senior Counsel for the defence, having taken silk in 1998. In 2009 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Strathclyde University. In 2010 she was appointed to be a member of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission until 2018. In 2014, Lord Bonomy invited her to be one of his expert group to assist with his Post Corroboration Review, published in April 2015 and she receives many invitations to lecture on various aspects of criminal law and practise. She is the senior woman practising at the Scottish Bar.

Cases

The Lockerbie Fatal Accident Inquiry 1991

HMA v Wilson & Others

HMA v Sean Flynn

HMA v Lisa Brown and Another - "The Body in the Burn" case

HMA v Stefan Millar and Another - "The Stornoway Murder"

The series of six appeals by Hoekstra & Others v HMA (2000-2002)

Appointments

Temporary Sheriff 1991-1997

Advocate Depute 1997 - July 2000

Member of the Law School Advisory Panel, University of Strathclyde,

2001-

Member of the Criminal Courts Rules Council 2011-6 July 2014