Lord Advocate praises Scottish prosecution service

Scotland has good reason to be proud of its public prosecution service, according to the new Lord Advocate, James Wolffe, QC.

In an address following his installation, and the installation of Alison Di Rollo as Solicitor Generalfor Scotland, Mr Wolffe said that like his two immediate predecessors as Lord Advocate, Dame Elish Angiolini, QC, and Frank Mulholland, QC, he was a professional lawyer with no party political affiliation.

“My fundamental personal and professional commitments are to the integrity of Scotland’s legal system, the maintenance of the rule of law and the sound administration of justice,” said Mr Wolffe, the outgoing Dean of the Faculty of Advocates.

“Sustainable policy-making must be well founded in the law; and, as the Scottish Government’s senior Law Officer, I look forward to contributing actively to the good government of Scotland.

“I also head the prosecution service and the system of investigation of deaths in Scotland, and I exercise these functions independently of any other person. The effective, rigorous and fair prosecution of crime in the public interest underpins our freedom and security. It helps to keep our communities safe from crime, disorder and danger.

“The work of skilled and dedicated prosecutors, acting independently in the public interest, is essential to an effective criminal justice system – one which deals fairly with persons accused of crime, secures justice for the victims of crime, and punishes those who are convicted of crime. Scotland has good reason to be proud of its public prosecution service, and I am proud that I now lead that service.”

Mr Wolffe added that the offices of Lord Advocate and Solicitor General had been held by some of Scotland’s greatest lawyers, and he and Ms Di Rollo were acutely conscious of the trust which had been placed in them.

“We are looking forward to getting on with the job and fulfilling that trust,” he stated.