Law

Between 2001 and 2003 Duthie trained as a solicitor, then was employed until 2005 at Burness Solicitors, Edinburgh. In 2006 he was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates, or called to the Bar.^[1]

Duthie held the position of Standing Junior Counsel to the Advocate General from 2012 to 2021. He was also a fee-paid judge of the First-tier Tribunal from 2014 to 2022. He held the position of ad hoc Advocate Depute in 2015. Between 2021 and 2023, before being appointed to the Land Court, Duthie was a sheriff at Perth Sheriff Court.^[1][4] As sheriff, Duthie's cases included various issues of dangerous driving, drugs and violence. For example, between January and April 2022 he dealt with a serial computer thief, a speeding driver who after being chased by police was ultimately banned from driving, a woman stalked by her boyfriend, another driver chased by police, a man who was caught when he sent "sexual messages" to an account set up by investigators, a man who broke his previous girlfriend's hand, a man who smuggled drugs into a jail, two cases involving individual drug dealers, a drink-driver, a man who stole food from a bakery, a man who "tried to spear [a police constable] through [a] letterbox with [a] pool cue", a drug-dealing gang, a man who attempted suicide by cop, a man who bit someone's nose in a fight, a man who ranted at children in a park, and a dangerous abuser who hid inside a cupboard in his former girlfriend's house".^[5]

From September 2019, Duthie was a King's Counsel,^[6] and from 2023 he was Chair of the Scottish Land Court and President of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.^[1][7]

Military

Duthie was a Lieutenant of the Royal Naval Reserve, and is now on the Retired List. He was appointed legal adviser to the European Union Naval Force in 2010, and served in the Volunteer Reserves in 2015.^[1][4]

Business

Duthie was Chairman of Maltings (Berwick) Trust between 2018 and 2021.^[1]