Emma McIlveen becomes the youngest employment judge in the UK

26th February 2026

3PB is delighted to announce that a sixth member of chambers, Emma McIlveenEmma McIlveenCall: 2016, has been appointed as a fee-paid, part-time Employment Tribunal Judge. Emma will sit as an employment judge in Scotland and takes up the post on 1 March 2026. Appointed at 34, Emma McIlveen becomes the youngest employment judge in the UK.

Emma will continue to maintain her busy employment, public and administrative law, personal injury and inquests practice. Called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2016, Emma now sits as a Legal Chairman of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) in Northern Ireland and is an associate member at 3PB.

Emma joins other members of 3PB’s employment and discrimination group - Matthew Curtis, Joseph England, Stephen Wyeth and Sarah Bowen - who all sit as part-time employment judges, as well as Mathew Gullick KC, who sits as a fee-paid Judge of the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Karen Moss, Head of 3PB’s 32-strong Employment & Discrimination Group, said: “I am delighted for Emma. Six part-time employment judges speaks volumes about the quality of employment counsel here. Many congratulations to her on her appointment.”

Judge Susan Walker, president of Employment Tribunals (Scotland) welcomed Emma's appointment and the other new judges, highlighting their specialist knowledge in employment law and expressing confidence in the contribution they will make to the tribunal’s work.

Details of the Lord President, Lord Pentland's appointment of new employment judges in Scotland can be seen here.

If you wish to contact Emma, please email her on [email protected]. To instruct her, or see about her availability, please contact her clerks Russell Porter on [email protected] or Gemma Faulkner on [email protected] or by calling them on 020 7583 8055.