David Harvie named as next Crown Agent

David Harvie, procurator fiscal for the west of Scotland, has been named as the next Crown Agent, the head of Scotland's prosecution service.

A solicitor advocate, Mr Harvie succeeds Catherine Dyer, who retires at the start of April.

He joined the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service in 1996, after working in private practice. He served as a procurator fiscal depute in Paisley until 1999, when he was seconded to the Lockerbie criminal trial team. After the trial he was promoted to principal depute, Aberdeen.

In 2001 he was seconded to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office before returning to Crown Office in 2004, as head of the National Casework Division with responsibility for organised crime, financial crime and proceeds of crime cases throughout Scotland. He was later promoted to director of serious casework and went on to head the fiscal service in the west of Scotland.

Speaking after his appointment he said: "It is a real privilege to lead Scotland’s prosecution service and its talented, hardworking staff.

"We have a strong track record of success in prosecuting crime in Scotland.

“In recent years we have adopted a specialist approach which has helped to increase public confidence in the way we prosecute a range of crimes including sexual offences, counter terrorism, serious organised crime and cold cases."

Welcoming the appointment, Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC commented:

"David will be an excellent Crown Agent and he takes over at an exciting time for the prosecution service and its talented staff.

"I'm confident David will continue to drive the prosecution service forward, ensuring its priorities continue to reflect the priorities of the Scottish people.

"David inherits a strong legacy from his predecessor Catherine Dyer, who was responsible for creating a modern, compassionate Crown Office."