Lord Advocate to step down after election

The Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC, announced today that he intends to leave office after the May Scottish parliamentary election.

Mr Mulholland, a career prosecutor, was appointed at the start of the present Parliament five years ago, and served as Solicitor General for four years before that. He has informed the First Minister of his intention.

On making his announcement he said: “It has been a real privilege to serve as Lord Advocate, leading Scotland’s prosecution service and providing independent legal advice to the Scottish Government. However, after nine years as a Law Officer – the last five as Lord Advocate – I have decided it is the right time to step down and do other things.

“In recent years the Crown has embedded specialisms in the way it does its job. Our expertise in handling offences including rape, domestic abuse, serious organised crime, counter terrorism and cold cases has helped us become one of the most effective prosecution services in the world and given victims greater confidence to report crimes.”

He added: “It’s been an honour to do this job working with so many dedicated and talented people to deliver justice in some of the most demanding and challenging of cases.

Mr Mulholland will formally step down when his successor is appointed by the Queen.