Professor Colin McKay

Biography	I joined the Centre for Mental Health and Capacity Law as a Professor in 2020. From 2014 to 2020 I was the Chief Executive of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. From 1999-2014 I was a civil servant (from 2004 senior civil servant) with the Scottish Government. Areas I worked on included justice policy, public service reform, strategy, and mental health. I was secretary to the Millan committee on mental health law and the MacLean committee on serious violent and sexual offenders. I trained as a solicitor and from 1989-1998 was a legal and policy adviser with ENABLE Scotland. I am a member of the Executive of the review of mental health law led by John Scott QC, and previously chaired a working group of the Wessely review of the English Mental Health Act.
Research Interests	Mental health law, capacity law, human rights, medical law and ethics

Biography

I joined the Centre for Mental Health and Capacity Law as a Professor in 2020. From 2014 to 2020 I was the Chief Executive of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. From 1999-2014 I was a civil servant (from 2004 senior civil servant) with the Scottish Government. Areas I worked on included justice policy, public service reform, strategy, and mental health. I was secretary to the Millan committee on mental health law and the MacLean committee on serious violent and sexual offenders. I trained as a solicitor and from 1989-1998 was a legal and policy adviser with ENABLE Scotland.
I am a member of the Executive of the review of mental health law led by John Scott QC, and previously chaired a working group of the Wessely review of the English Mental Health Act.

Research Interests

Mental health law, capacity law, human rights, medical law and ethics