Good on solicitors north of the border for launching a legal challenge to the Scottish Executive's Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill. The Bill, according to advice from leading counsel, fails to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights. Obiter naturally wishes the Law Society of Scotland - which is backing the action - the best of luck. However, there is one curious footnote to the legal tussle. Which leading counsel provided the strong advice that the Bill is flawed? Was it a top member of the Faculty of Advocates? Er, no. It was, gushes the press release, 'the UK's leading human rights QC', the very English qualified and practising silk, Lord Lester of Herne Hill. To be fair, the Scottish solicitors anticipate the jibes. Lord Lester was chosen, it says, because, 'as a member of the English Bar, he is not affected by the Bill's proposals'. Surely, that cannot mean that Caledonian solicitors have little faith in the independence and unbiased nature of the advice of their own breed of barrister. We await the letters.