Neil Davidson, Baron Davidson of Glen Clova: Difference between revisions

|imagesize name = The Lord Davidson of Glen Clova

|office image = [[AdvocateOfficial portrait of Lord Davidson of Glen Clova Generalcrop for2, Scotland]]2019.jpg

|term_start imagesize = 21 March= 2006

|term_end caption = 14Davidson Mayin 20102019

|primeminister office3 = [[TonyAdvocate Blair]]<br>[[GordonGeneral for BrownScotland]]

|office2 primeminister3 = [[SolicitorTony GeneralBlair]]<br for/>[[Gordon ScotlandBrown]]

|firstminister2 office4 = [[DonaldSolicitor Dewar]]<br>[[HenryGeneral for McLeishScotland]]

|successor2 term_end4 = [[Elish28 November Angiolini]]2001

|death_place successor4 = [[Elish Angiolini]]

|birthname term_start5 = Neil22 March 2006<br Forbes/>[[Life DavidsonPeerage]]

|nationality term_end5 =

|party birth_date = [[Labour{{Birth Partydate (UK)|Labourand Party]]age|1950|9|13|df=yes}}

|spouse birth_place = Regina Anne Sprissler

|relations death_date =

|children death_place =

|residence restingplace =

|occupation nationality =

|profession party = [[FacultyLabour ofParty Advocates(UK)|AdvocateLabour Party]]

|signature relations =

'''Neil Forbes Davidson, Baron Davidson of Glen Clova''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|QCKC}} (born 13 September 1950) is a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[lawyer]] and former [[Advocate General for Scotland]].

Davidson was born to John and Flora Davidson,<ref name="whoswho">{{cite web|title=DAVIDSONjournal OF GLEN CLOVA|urldoi=http:10.1093/ww/www9780199540884.ukwhoswho013.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U1293312933|worktitle=[[Who'sDavidson Whoof Glen Clova, Baron, (UKNeil Forbes Davidson) (born 13 Sept. 1950)|journal=Who's Who]]|publisheryear=[[Oxford University Press]]|date=December 2008|accessdate=7 July 20092007}}</ref> and was educated at the [[University of Stirling]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]), the [[University of Bradford]] ([[Master of Science|MSc]]) and the [[University of Edinburgh]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]], [[Master of Laws|LLM]]), and was admitted to the [[Faculty of Advocates]] in 1979.<ref name="whoswho"/> His private practice is in commercial and administrative law.<ref name="OAG">{{cite web|title=The Advocate General for Scotland – Current Advocate General|url=http://www.oag.gov.uk/oag/31.22.html|publisher=Office of the Advocate General for Scotland|accessdateaccess-date=7 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611002247/http://www.oag.gov.uk/oag/31.22.html|archive-date=11 June 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Davidson was admitted to the [[Faculty of Advocates]] in 1979, and appointed Standing Junior Counsel to the [[General Register Office for Scotland|Registrar General]] in 1982, and the [[Department of Health and Social Security]] in 1988. He was called to the [[Bar of England and Wales]] at the [[Inner Temple]] in 1990, and appointed [[Queen's Counsel]] in Scotland in 1993.<ref name="whoswho"/><ref name="OAG"/> From 1993 to 2000, he was a Director of City Disputes Panel, a private dispute resolution service, and on 24 February 2000 was appointed [[Solicitor General for Scotland]], which office he held until November 2001.<ref name="whoswho"/> He is a member of [[King's Bench Walk, London|11 King's Bench Walk Chambers]], founded by former [[Lord Chancellor]] [[Derry Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg|Lord Irvine of Lairg]].

On 21 March 2006, it was announced that the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[Tony Blair]], had appointed him to the office of [[Advocate General for Scotland]],<ref name="gazette-davidson-adv-gen">[[Edinburgh Gazette|The Edinburgh Gazette]], [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/E-26014-1114-288 Issue no.: 26014, Notice ID: E-26014-1114/288], 24 March 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2016</ref> which had been vacant since the resignation of [[Lynda Clark, Baroness Clark of Calton]] on 18 January that year to take up office as a [[Senator of the College of Justice]]. He was created a [[life peer]], as '''Baron Davidson of Glen Clova''', of [[Glen Clova]] in [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]],
<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57940|page=4359|date=28 March 2006}}</ref> on 22 March, and sits on the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] benches. Following Labour's defeat in the [[2010 United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010 general election]], Davidson was succeeded in the post by Liberal Democrat [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]], former [[Deputy First Minister of Scotland]].

Davidson is the co-author of ''Judicial Review in Scotland'' (1986).<ref>{{cite webbook|title=Judicial review in Scotland [WorldCat.org]|urlisbn=http://www.worldcat.org/9780414007741|oclc/=20594399|accessdatelast1=7Clair|first1=John B. St|last2=Davidson|first2=Neil F.|year=1986|publisher=W. JulyGreen 2009}}</ref> He was the [[International Commission of Jurists]]' ''chef de mission'' to Egypt on sequestration of the Egyptian Bar in 1998. He was the convener of the Human Rights Committee of the [[Faculty of Advocates]].

In 2005, Davidson was appointed by the UK government to head a review examining the implementation of [[European Union]] legislation in the UK. The report – known as the 'Davidson Review' – was issued in 2006 and recommended a series of measures to simplify implementation, including a ban on '[[Gold-plating (European Union law)|gold-plating]]'.<ref>{{cite web|title=Davidson Review|url=http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/better-regulation/reviewing-regulation/simplifying-eu-legislation-davidson-review|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110704165419/http:/www.bis.gov.uk/policies/better-regulation/reviewing-regulation/simplifying-eu-legislation-davidson-review|deadurl-urlstatus=yesdead|archive-date=4 July 2011|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014}}</ref>

In August 2014, Davidson attended the Fourth Forum on Development of Tibet in [[Lhasa]], [[Tibet]] as a guest of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]]. <ref>{{cite web|title=House of Lords|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-davidson-of-glen-clova/3781|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014}}</ref> Chinese state media reported comments by him praising China's work in Tibet and criticising Western media.<ref>{{cite web|title=Biased western media coverage on Tibet denounced on forum in Lhasa|url=http://eng.tibet.cn/2012sy/xw/201408/t20140812_2012811.html|website=China Tibet Online|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031200846/http://eng.tibet.cn/2012sy/xw/201408/t20140812_2012811.html|archive-date=31 October 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The conference organisers published a "Lhasa Consensus" document <ref>{{cite web|title=Full text of the 'Lhasa Consensus'|url=http://china.org.cn/china/2014-08/14/content_33232144.htm|website=China.org|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014}}</ref> supporting the position and policy of the Chinese government regarding Tibet. According to the document, it was endorsed by all participants in the forum.

Shortly after, a number of Western participants disassociated themselves from the 'Consensus', stating that they were unaware it would be represented as having their support.<ref>{{cite webnews|title=New Zealand politician rejects pro-China Tibet document|work=BBC News|date=15 August 2014|url=httphttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-china-blog-28804216|website=BBC News|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014}}</ref> Lord Davidson did not respond to Western media enquiries regarding the accuracy of the comments attributed to him and seeking clarification of his position regarding the Lhasa Consensus.<ref>{{cite web|title=Labour's Lord Davidson in hot water over Tibet comments|url=httphttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/labours-lord-davidson-in-hot-water-over-tibet-comments-made-in-china-9669680.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/labours-lord-davidson-in-hot-water-over-tibet-comments-made-in-china-9669680.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Independent|accessdatedate=14 August 2014|access-date=1 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite webnews|title=UK politician's Tibet visit under fire|work=BBC News|date=14 August 2014|url=httphttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-28782137|website=BBC News|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014}}</ref> His participation, reported comments and subsequent refusal to make further comment were strongly criticised by [[Free Tibet]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Free Tibet condemns Labour front bencher’sbencher's “propaganda"propaganda gift”gift" at Chinese Tibet forum|url=http://freetibet.org/news-media/pr/free-tibet-condemns-labour-front-bencher%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cpropaganda-gift%E2%80%9D-chinese-tibet-forum|website=Free Tibet|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141031182011/http://freetibet.org/news-media/pr/free-tibet-condemns-labour-front-bencher%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cpropaganda-gift%E2%80%9D-chinese-tibet-forum|archive-date=31 October 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=UK politician refuses to answer Tibet questions|url=http://freetibet.org/news-media/na/uk-politician-refuses-answer-tibet-questions|website=Free Tibet|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014}}</ref> who noted that during his visit to Tibet, security forces fired on a demonstration in another region of Tibet, fatally injuring four protesters.<ref>{{cite web|title=Three more Tibetans die of injuries following Kardze shooting: five deaths in total|url=http://freetibet.org/news-media/pr/three-more-tibetans-die-injuries-following-kardze-shooting-five-deaths-total|website=Free Tibet|accessdateaccess-date=1 November 2014}}</ref>

[[Category:Solicitors Generalgeneral for Scotland]]

[[Category:Scottish QueenKing's Counsel]]

[[Category:Queen20th-century King's Counsel 1901–2000]]

[[Category:Advocates Generalgeneral for Scotland]]