Lord Advocate

Her Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate, is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. The post became controversial under First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as it transformed into a full political position where the Lord Advocate attended most Cabinet meetings. The error was compounded as during the Inquiry into the handling of harassment complaints the Lord Advocate worked strenuously to suppress the evidence that the committee needed to carry out their remit. As a result the damage to the reputation of the legal profession and democracy in general, in Scotland was substantial.