Lady Dorrian announced as RSE Fellow

The Chair of the Scottish Sentencing Council, Lady Dorrian, has been elected as a new Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scotland’s National Academy. 

The Academy provides independent, expert advice to policymakers and inspires innovative thinking. 

Lady Dorrian is Scotland’s second most senior judge and the first woman to be appointed to the role of Lord Justice Clerk. 

She said: “I am delighted to have been elected a Fellow of the RSE. It is an honour and a privilege to join an institution which has contributed so much to Scottish society and I look forward to participating fully in its work. I hope that I will be able to provide a meaningful contribution on a wide range of critical issues to make a positive and enduring difference.” 

Professor Sir John Ball, President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, said: “It is a privilege to be able to welcome our new Fellows, and we are inspired by the breadth of talent and experience in our Fellowship. Every single individual elected this year has shown exceptional levels of expertise and insight in their chosen field, and their input helps RSE effect real and lasting change in Scotland’s society.  

“We look forward to working with our diverse Fellowship who provide a crucial link between the world of academic research and practice with government, business and civil society.” 

The current Fellowship comprises around 1700 individuals recognised as being some of the greatest thinkers and practitioners working in, or with, Scotland today. 

The RSE states that by using the expertise of its Fellows it creates a unique impact by: 

• inspiring and supporting talent through a wide-ranging programme of research grants and awards
• engaging the public across Scotland on key contemporary issues through its outreach programme RSE@ and a wide-ranging programme of public events
• providing impartial advice and expertise to inform policy and practice through in-depth examination of major issues and providing expert comment on topical matters
• promoting Scotland’s interests overseas through building relationships with sister academies across the world and facilitating research collaborations.