Social Security Law

Simon Collins

Simon Collins is a former law centre solicitor who specialises in public law and human rights.  He has acted in many of the leading Scottish cases in these areas in recent years.  To date he has appeared twelve times in the House of Lords, three times in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and in many high profile cases before the courts in Scotland at all levels.  He has also acted in successful litigation before the European Court of Human Rights.  He was a full time Advocate Depute between 2007 and 2009, and has recently been appointed a Standing Junior Counsel to the Advocate General, attached to the Department of Work and Pensions.

Social Security cases: Stewart v Secretary of State for Social Security 2000 SLT 826 (disability living allowance – attention in connection with bodily functions); Gillies v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2006 SC (HL) 71, [2006] 1 WLR 781 (independence and impartiality of medical member of disability appeal tribunal); R(DLA) 1/07 (Tribunal of Commissioners) (disability living allowance – whether operation of the brain a ‘bodily function’); R(IB) 2/07 (Tribunal of Commissioners) (application of Howker v Secretary of State – incapacity benefit – whether regulations ultra vires).

Appointments:

  • Part Time Legally Qualified Member, Social Security Appeals Tribunals (2003 – 2006)
  • Special Representative, Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (2006 – present)
  • Ad Hoc Advocate Depute (2005 – 2006)
  • Trial Advocate Depute  (2007 – 2009)
  • Standing Junior Counsel to the Advocate General (Department of Work and Pensions) (2009 – present)

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Formed in May 2009, the Scottish Human Rights Law Group is a non-affiliated, independent, professional network for those engaged in legal practice and study, in academia and politics, in campaigning and in the provision of advice. It exists to raise awareness and knowledge of human rights law in Scotland, and to provide a forum for discussion of matters of interest across the field. The group organises seminars and roundtable discussions on human rights and is accredited for the purposes of CPD.