Ex-minister Jim Wallace returns to the Bar

FORMER deputy First Minister Jim Wallace is to resume his career as an advocate in Scotland, more than 25 years after he left legal practice to enter political life, The Scotsman can reveal.

Now Lord Wallace of Tankerness, the former justice minister, is to return to Scottish law and join the advocates' stable at Terra Firma Chambers, which already counts former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell among its counsel.

A graduate of Edinburgh University, the Liberal Democrat peer was first called to the Scottish Bar in 1979, practising mainly in civil cases, but halted his legal career after being returned as the Liberal Party MP for Orkney and Shetland at the 1983 election.

He is now set to return to court practice on 15 March, with a focus on planning issues and public law, an area in which he has amassed some expertise during his political career and consultancy work undertaken since he left the Scottish Parliament in 2007.

"I do see it as a challenge, but it is not a decision you take lightly," he told The Scotsman. "I have thought about it for some time and discussed it with former and future colleagues and the thing that struck me was the encouragement I have been given to do this.

"I have been thinking about what I should be doing, because I am still relatively young – just because I am in the House of Lords doesn't make me ancient. The common-sense thing to do is the job I like and was trained for."

He added: "I am under no illusions it will be a steep learning curve, but in many respects I have never been away from the law – I have been making it. It is not as if I have been far from it. Particularly during the time I was justice minister, I was engaged with the law and the legal institutions.

"Planning, public law, administrative law are the areas where I have had some experience. I have been doing some consultancy, but I also have experience as an MP, as an MSP and a minister.

"There are areas of planning law, public law and environmental issues, as well as human rights and Freedom of Information, that I have had an intimate involvement in. I would like to think that I could bring some of that experience to my work as an advocate."

Gordon Steele, QC, Terra Firma director, welcomed the former politician to his stable. "Lord Wallace has a long and distinguished record of service to the people of Scotland, including his important contribution as justice minister," he said. "He will be a great asset to the Scottish Bar and we regard it a great compliment that he has chosen to resume practice with Terra Firma."

Lord Wallace, 55, was educated at Annan Academy and is a graduate of Downing College, Cambridge, and Edinburgh University.

By then, he was already a member of the Liberal Party and in 1979 was chosen to fight the Dumfriesshire constituency in the general election.

At Westminster, he served as his party's employment spokesman and chief whip, but it was with his election to the Scottish Parliament that his political career took off. Having been named leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in 1992, he led the party into the first Scottish Parliamentary election, negotiating a coalition government with Donald Dewar. He was the first minister's deputy and justice minister, serving as acting first minister after the Labour leader's death in 2000.

Since stepping down as party leader in 2005 and leaving the Scottish Parliament in 2007, he has received a life peerage and a lifetime achievement award at the Scottish Politician of the Year Awards.