Legal Guidance and Research / Experts / Gavin Anderson
Gavin Anderson#9801
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Gavin Anderson , KC

Compass Chambers
Gavin Anderson specialises in white collar crime and regulatory cases. He appears regularly in the High Court of Justiciary, Sheriff Courts and disciplinary tribunals throughout Scotland. Ordinarily, he is instructed regularly to appear in white collar crime and regulatory cases, including health & safety, environmental, financial crime and road traffic offences, as well as Fatal Accident Inquiries. He also represents professional persons charged with serious crime, including teachers, solicitors, company directors and police officers.

In November 2021 Mr Anderson was appointed to the role of Crown Counsel by the Lord Advocate, to prosecute serious and complex crime in the High Court of Justiciary and to conduct significant Fatal Accident Inquiry work.

Practice Area

Panel

  • Scottish Panel

Qualified Year

  • 2001

Year Taken Silk

  • 2022

Experience

  • Compass Chambers (2018 - 2022)
  • Westwater Advocates (2001 - 2018)

Membership

  • Faculty of Advocates

Qualifications

  • Dip.L.P. (1994)
  • LL.B. (Hons) (1993)

Education

  • University of Aberdeen (1994)

2 Contributions by Gavin Anderson

Scottish criminal courts: jurisdiction, maximum penalties, sentencing options and ancillary orders, covering the High Court of Justiciary, sheriff and justice of the peace courts, plus victim statements
PRACTICE NOTES
Scottish criminal courts: jurisdiction, maximum penalties, sentencing options and ancillary orders, covering the High Court of Justiciary, sheriff and justice of the peace courts, plus victim statements
This Practice Note sets out an explanation of the powers of the Scottish criminal courts to impose sentence following conviction. For an introduction to the structure and operation of the Scottish criminal justice process, see Practice Note: The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland. For guidance on the approach the Scottish courts adopt to sentencing corporate criminal/regulatory offences, see Practice Note: Sentencing corporate criminal offences in Scotland. High Court The most serious corporate cases are prosecuted in the High Court of Justiciary (High Court). Under solemn procedure, a judge and jury try the case, as noted above. See Practice Notes: Solemn procedure in Scottish criminal proceedings and Trials under the Scottish solemn procedure. As a trial court, its jurisdiction extends across the whole of Scotland (and, on occasion, beyond) in respect of all crimes unless excluded by statute. It holds exclusive jurisdiction to try the gravest crimes, such as treason, murder and rape. In practice, the High Court deals with other serious crimes including very serious assaults, armed robbery, drug trafficking and sexual offences involving children (even where it is competent for these to be tried by a sheriff sitting with a jury). Many cases involving deaths, though not all,...
Corporate Crime
Scottish solemn criminal trials: procedure and practice on juries, evidence, submissions and verdicts, with 2025–26 reforms on electronic signatures, virtual hearings and abolition of not proven
PRACTICE NOTES
Scottish solemn criminal trials: procedure and practice on juries, evidence, submissions and verdicts, with 2025–26 reforms on electronic signatures, virtual hearings and abolition of not proven
This Practice Note outlines the solemn trial process in Scotland and ought to be carefully considered alongside the Scottish solemn criminal procedure—flowchart. For further information on pre-trial preparation within the solemn route, consult Practice Note: Solemn procedure in Scottish criminal proceedings. For assistance on appeal routes in solemn cases in Scotland, refer to Practice Note: Scottish criminal appeals—solemn procedure. For a primer on how criminal offences are investigated and prosecuted in Scotland, see Practice Note: The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland. Update effective 1 December 2025: modernisation of criminal court procedure The Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Act 2025 brings in a suite of permanent reforms, superseding the temporary measures created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practitioners must read all procedural references in this Practice Note in the context of those statutory amendments. Electronic signatures and document transmission Sections 303C–303F of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (CP(S)A 1995) permit electronic signatures and electronic service of documents in criminal cases, to the accused or their legal representative, provided the statutory conditions are satisfied in those provisions. Virtual attendance at hearings The court may suspend the need for physical attendance at evidential hearings where appropriate...
Corporate Crime
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