Sir Ming Campbell endorses reform of Lord Advocate’s role
Reading time: 2 minutes
Sir Ming Campbell QC
Liberal Democrat Peer Sir Ming Campbell QC has suggested that the Crown Office should be headed by someone similar to the director of public prosecutions in England and Wales, following a survey by Scottish Legal News on the dual role of the Lord Advocate.
Sir Ming told The Herald on Sunday that it was perhaps time to borrow something from the legal system south of the border.
“The Attorney General in England is a member of the government and has dual responsibilities as a result, but in addition to that there is the office of the DPP which means there is further distancing between the Attorney General and prosecuting decisions, although the Attorney General continues to have ultimate responsibility.
“We would do well to look at that, and see whether or not similar arrangements would be applicable in Scotland.”
Asked why he thought the impartiality of the role had come under such scrutiny now, the Liberal Democrat grandee said: “I was called to the bar in 1968, I have known every Lord Advocate since 1968 and I am more than confident that all of them have understood the dual responsibility that the office for the Lord Advocate creates, and have been at pains to ensure that the impartiality was beyond challenge.”
His comments followed an SLN survey that suggested that the majority of Scotland’s legal profession thought there should be a separation of the roles held by the Lord Advocate entirely.
Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss articles like this one:
SUBSCRIBE
