Director of Propriety and Ethics

Responsibilities

Responsibilities for the Director of Propriety and Ethics include:

• management of cases regarding issues of propriety
• oversight of a refreshed procedure for handling complaints about ministers and former ministers
• bedding in new propriety and ethics function, including management and oversight of our continuous improvement programme on culture and behaviours
• managing a programme of forward risk assessment across the organisation to address concerns about culture and behaviour before they develop
• promoting best practice in propriety and acting as advisor on propriety and ethics issues as required

Biography

Prior to this appointment, Michael was the Scottish Government’s Director for Children and Families, from 2017 to 2023.  He is a qualified solicitor, and has previously undertaken a variety of senior legal roles in government, including Director of the Office of the Advocate General, the UK government's most senior legal official in Scotland, and head of HM Revenue & Customs' Scottish legal office. Before joining government in 2005, he worked as a litigation specialist for one of Scotland's leading commercial law firms.
Michael graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an honours degree in law in 1996 and a masters degree with distinction in international law and human rights in 2011.