TRIBUTES have been paid to a lawyer and "champion for legal aid" who has lost a long battle with cancer.
Oliver "Ollie" Adair, who died earlier this week, joined the Council of the Law Society of Scotland in 1996, representing solicitors in Hamilton and Lanark.
He went on to head up its legal aid negotiating team and served continuously on Council until his retirement in 2012 when he sold his legal practice firm Adair & Bryden.
Later that year, he joined the Law Society's staff team and continued to work on legal aid whilst improving engagement between the Society and its members.
Law Society President Christine McLintock said he had "campaigned tirelessly for a legal aid system that would always protect the most vulnerable in our society".
She added: "Throughout his time, Ollie gained respect for being a skilled and canny negotiator. His many years as a criminal defence lawyer in Hamilton meant he brought practical experience from the front line along with a no-nonsense attitude, a good instinct and sound judgment.
"Despite all the challenges that remain, I have no doubt our legal aid system and the protections it offers are better because of Ollie Adair. Solicitors, their clients and society as a whole will benefit from his work for many years to come."
Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society, said Mr Adair was a "kind and sincere man, with a wicked sense of humour and infectious laugh".
She said: "Even during tense negotiations or a ferocious debate on legal aid strategy, he could turn the atmosphere around with his typical warmth and wit.
"Of course, he was also a proud husband and father and our thoughts and prayers go out to Ollie's wife Catriona and family who were such a source of support to him, particularly during this last difficult year. Like his family, all of us at the Law Society will miss Ollie and remember him with affection."
Lindsay Montgomery, chief executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board, added: "Although we had sometimes had disagreements over legal aid issues, all colleagues from SLAB who dealt with Ollie had the highest regard for his professionalism, integrity, decency and strong sense of fairness."
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