About Alan

Alan Melvin-Farr was Called to the English Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 2007, and has practiced at the Scottish Bar since 2002. Many lawyers talk about a commitment to public law and human rights Alan Melvin-Farr delivers. He practices public law, human rights law and criminal law. For example in Scotland, where he is a member of the Scots Bar, he has a strong public law practice. His public law practice in Edinburgh encompasses Prison Law, Mental Health Law and Immigration Law. Notable public law cases in Scotland include FB. v. Secretary of State for the Home Department; BM v. Secretary of State for the Home Department (Immigration) Carlton v. Scottish Ministers (Prison Law) HMA v. Khan (Mental Health). Alan Melvin-Farr has been instrumental in helping immigrants obtain important judicial decisions in Scotland. He has been prepared to challenge decisions on behalf of clients in the immigration field where the odds initially seemed stacked against them. In prison law he has drafted petitions for judicial review where clients have complained against prison law regulations such as slopping out cases. He is currently instructed in what is likely to be a landmark case involving a disabled prisoner. In Mental Health, Alan has been instructed in cases involving patients at the State Hospital, Carstairs. He has been instructed on numerous occasions to provide written advice on behalf of patients at Carstairs.

Many lawyers talk of a commitment to criminal law and justice. Alan Melvin-Farr has demonstrated his commitment. Rather than build a general criminal practice, Alan Melvin-Farr has developed a spcialised criminal practice. His criminal practice encompasses high value drugs cases, serious sexual offences and fraud. Notable criminal cases in Scotland include acting as junior counsel in Scotland’s largest cocaine importation trial HMA v. McAdam, Frew, Grant and Mair. He acted for McAdam who was convicted. The trial involved thousands of pages of evidence, police surveillance documents, complex mobile telephone communications, customs and excise evidence given in camera. He is also acting for McAdam in his appeal against Conviction and Sentence. He has acted along with Senior Counsel for a child accused of rape; and has acted for an accused charged with long standing sexual offences against children. . The case was eventually dropped by the Prosecutor. With regard to Fraud Alan Melvin-Farr was recently a junior in the million pound fraud case HMA v. Stevenson. This case involved an employee who defrauded substanial sums from his employer.