Richard Keen, Baron Keen of Elie

The Right Honourable The Lord Keen of Elie QC
Advocate General for Scotland
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 May 2015
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Lord Wallace of Tankerness
Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party
In office January 2014 – 28 May 2015
Personal details
Born	Richard Sanderson Keen 29 March 1954
Spouse(s)	Jane Anderson
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh
Profession	Advocate

Richard Sanderson Keen, Baron Keen of Elie, QC (born 29 March 1954) is a Scottish lawyer and Conservative Party politician. He has been Advocate General for Scotland since May 2015.

Early life

Keen was educated at The King's School, Rochester and Dollar Academy, and studied at the School of Law of the University of Edinburgh, where he was a Beckman scholar. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1980 and was appointed to the Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1993.^[1]

Legal experience

Keen served as standing junior counsel in Scotland to the Department of Trade and Industry from 1986–93, and is chairman of the appeals committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. He specialises in commercial law, property law and administrative law.

He defended Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah at the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, with Fhimah being acquitted of all charges.^[2] In 2007, he represented Henri Paul's family in a case about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.^[2] Keen represented the Scottish football club Rangers at their unsuccessful appeal against a one-year transfer/registration embargo which was held on 16 May 2012.^[3] Rangers subsequently reappealed the decision commencing on 25 May 2012, with this appeal proving successful.^[4]

He is currently representing Andy Coulson in relation to perjury charges. ^[5][6]

For a time he was Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, in January 2014 he stood down and became chair of the Scottish Conservative Party. ^[7][8]

He was appointed the Advocate General for Scotland on 29 May 2015, and stepped down as chair of the Scottish Conservative Party.^[9][10]

Keen was created a Life Peer on 8 June 2015 taking the title Baron Keen of Elie, of Elie in Fife.^[11]

Personal life

Keen married Jane Anderson in 1978, with whom he has a son and a daughter. His interests include golf, skiing, shooting and opera, whilst he is a member of the New Club, Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, and the Golf House, Elie. He is one of the highest earners in Scotland, being featured on a list of the top 100 earners in 2003, and is said to enjoy fast cars.^[12]

References

1. "Richard S. Keen Q.C.: Building & Construction, Commercial, Constitutional, Judicial Review, Oil & Gas". The Faculty of Advocates. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
2. "Scottish bar names Richard Keen QC as new head". The Lawyer. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
3. "Keen Leads Appeal". Glasgow Rangers Football Club. 15 May 2012. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
4. "Rangers win court challenge over SFA ban". BBC. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
5. "Andy Coulson appears in court on perjury charge", BBC News (Glasgow and West Scotland), 18 June 2013
6. "Andy Coulson appears in court on perjury charge", The Herald (Glasgow), 18 June 2013
7. http://www.lawscot.org.uk/news/press-releases/2014/january/comment-on-dean-stepping-down
8. Keen is new Dean : News : The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland
9. "Advocate General for Scotland appointed - Press releases - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
10. "Richard Keen QC becomes new Advocate General". BBC News. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
11. The London Gazette: no. 61254. p. 10852. 12 June 2015.
12. "Who earns what - part 2 - Top stories". Scotsman.com. 18 September 2003. Retrieved 19 May 2013.