The First Minister has appointed Dorothy Bain QC to be the new Lord Advocate, succeeding James Wolffe QC.
The appointment, which is subject to approval by the Scottish Parliament, comes after a year of intense scrutiny of the role, following the Alex Salmond prosecution affair and subsequent Holyrood inquiry – at which the current Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC became heavily involved in.
She will take office alongside Ruth Charteris QC, who has been appointed the new Solicitor General. There has been a wave of support from both politicians and the legal industry to see the role of Lord Advocate – who is both head of prosecutions and the Government’s chief legal advisor – spilt, with the role of Solicitor General taking on the position of chief legal advisor.
The selection of Ms Bain, who leaves Ampersand Advocates for her new role, has been widely praised. Commenting on her appointment, solicitor Aamer Anwar said: “I welcome the appointment of Dorothy Bain QC as Lord Advocate. Having worked with her for several years on behalf of the families of Sheku Bayoh, Katie Allan and William Lindsay I have found her to be an outstanding advocate, full of empathy for victims and driven by an unshakeable desire for justice…Ms Bain is highly respected across our legal system and widely regarded for her intellect and integrity.