Staff news

Honorary Professor: Niall Richard Whitty

Niall Richard Whitty has been made an Honorary Professor in the College of Humanities & Social Science.

Niall Whitty

He graduated MA (1st class hons) in Medieval & Modern History from the University of St Andrews in 1960 and LLB (Ordinary) in 1963 from the University of Edinburgh.

After undertaking a legal apprenticeship from 1963 to 1965, he worked as a private practice solicitor and a part-time Conveyancing tutor at the University of Edinburgh.

He was a legal staff member at the Scottish Law Commission from 1971 to 1994, and its Commissioner from 1995 to 2000.

He was elected FRSE in 2003.

From 2000 until recently he was General Editor of 'The Laws of Scotland' and 'Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia' (reissue), and he was Visiting Professor in Edinburgh's School of Law during the same time period.

In addition to his academic research spanning 30 years, his personal interests focus on Scottish private law in its comparative and historical context.

He has written articles, chapters and encyclopaedic titles on various subjects within the law of obligations, including unjustified enrichment, 'negotiorum gestio' and delict; property law, particularly nuisance and the history of water law in Scotland; the interface between property and obligations; rights and interests of personality; medical law; and civil remedies and procedure.