Sir Ian Forrester KC knighted in New Year Honours list

A MEMBER of the Scottish Bar and a former Judge of the Court of the European Union, Ian Forrester KC, has been conferred the honour of Knight Bachelor in the 2026 New Year Honours list.

"I am delighted to receive a recognition of the Scottish contribution to the development of respect for international norms. Scots judges and practitioners have been much involved in building structures for cross border legal practice and it’s fun to be back at the Bar," said Sir Ian.

He is recognised for his lifetime contribution to international legal practice, writing and teaching in law, supporting and actively providing pro bono legal practice, Franco-British legal relations and other charitable work. Before his appointment as an international judge, he also represented a wide range of clients including the Government of Gibraltar, the BBC and the Scottish Football Association, and has been described as one of the world’s top competition lawyers.

His client list also includes Microsoft, GSK, Pfizer, the Liberal Democrat party, Toyota, Canon and many others, and he has authored in excess of 150 articles.

In 2015, he was nominated by the UK to serve as the UK Judge on the General Court of the European Union, a role he fulfilled with distinction, earning a strong reputation that reflected well on the UK right up until the UK’s EU Exit. He has subsequently served on the Competition Appeal Tribunal, is a former President of the Franco British Lawyers Society and an Assembly Trustee of the Church of Scotland, further cementing his legacy in both the legal profession and public service, as well as supporting the arts and music.

“I am delighted that Ian Forrester KC, a Member of Faculty since 1972 and a former Judge of the Court of the European Union, has been knighted in the New Year’s Honours List. Since returning to practice after Brexit ended his judicial tenure, Sir Ian has once again been an active and popular Member of Faculty,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Roddy Dunlop KC.

Born in Glasgow, Sir Ian attended Kelvinside Academy. He studied at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a Master of Arts in History and English Literature and a Bachelor of Laws. He later also obtained a Master of Civil Law from Tulane University in Louisiana, New Orleans. He was admitted to the Scottish Bar in 1972 and was appointed as King’s Counsel in 1988. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1977, the English Bar in 1996 and the Brussels Bar in 1998. He served as a judge in the General Court of the European Union from 2015 to 2020.

An interview with Sir Ian in the The Herald can be viewed here.