New advocate member appointed

Victoria Young has been appointed as the new advocate member of the Scottish Sentencing Council.

Victoria practises mainly in criminal law and has acted in the High Court for both prosecution and defence since being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1995.

She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1991 and spent a number of years with Brodies Solicitors in Edinburgh before beginning her devilling (training) with the Faculty in 1994.

Since calling to the bar, she has been instructed in more than 150 High Court trials, including for offences such as murder, rape, terrorism and serious assault.

In 2020, she was appointed ad hoc Advocate Depute with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and since then has prosecuted trials and conducted Evidence by Commission.

For the last three years, Victoria has also assisted with the National Bar Mock Trials Competition. She is also a trainer with the Faculty of Advocates Advocacy Training Course.

She replaces the Council’s previous advocate member, Louise Arrol KC, who was appointed as a sheriff in September.

Chair of the Council, Lady Dorrian, the Lord Justice Clerk, said: “I am delighted to welcome Victoria to the Scottish Sentencing Council as our new advocate member.

“Her knowledge and experience of criminal advocacy will be of great benefit to the Council as we continue with our ambitious work programme developing sentencing guidelines on offences such as domestic abuse, rape, and sexual offences, as well as on other issues such as sentence discounting.

“I wish Victoria well in her new role and look forward to working with her during her tenure with the Council.”

Victoria was appointed to the Council by the Lord Justice General, Lord Carloway.

She has been appointed for a five year term and will serve on the Council until November 2028.