Lord Advocate

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Employment.png Lord Advocate 

The Chief Legal Counsel to the Scottish Executive and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters.

The Lord Advocate is the Chief Legal Counsel to the Scottish Executive and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters.

Parliamentary and government role

Until devolution in 1999, all lord advocates were, by convention, members of the United Kingdom government, although the post was not normally in the Cabinet. Since devolution, the Lord Advocate has been an automatically ex officio member of the Scottish Government.[1]

From 1999 until 2007, the Lord Advocate attended the weekly Scottish Cabinet meetings. However, after the 2007 election, the new First Minister Alex Salmond decided that Lord Advocate would no longer attend the Scottish Cabinet, stating he wished to "de-politicise" the post.[2]

Until devolution, all lord advocates were, by convention, members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords to allow them to speak for the government. Those who were not already members of either house received a life peerage on appointment. Post-devolution, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General for Scotland are permitted to attend and speak in the Scottish Parliament ex officio, even if they are not Members of the Scottish Parliament.[3]


 

Office Holders on Wikispooks

NameFromTo
Dorothy Bain21 June 2021
James Wolffe1 June 201621 June 2021
Frank Mulholland19 May 2011May 2016
Elish Angiolini12 October 200630 April 2011
Colin Boyd24 February 20004 October 2006
Donald Mackay19951997
Peter Fraser19891992
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References