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3 unusual facts about Lord Advocate


Attorney General of the United Kingdom

Lord Advocate, until 1999, the former position for the top legal advisor on Scots law.

Derek Emslie, Lord Kingarth

He served from 1979 to 1987 as Standing Junior Counsel (legal advisor appointed by the Lord Advocate) to the Department of Health and Social Security, and from 1985 to 1988 as an Advocate Depute, representing the Crown in prosecutions and appeals in the High Court.

Gerry Moynihan

Moynihan has an extensive practice in Human Rights and Administrative Law, and is instructed on behalf of public bodies including the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, for whom he acted in recovering records from the Lord Advocate.


Kilmarnock by-election, 1933

It was a long-standing convention that when a vacancy arose in this office (or in the most senior judicial office, that of Lord President), the Lord Advocate (head of the Scottish criminal justice system) of the day would be appointed to fill the vacancy.

Robert Dundas of Arniston, the elder

Though more highly trusted than Sir David Dalrymple, the Lord Advocate, by the Duke of Roxburghe, he felt this an irksome position, and in 1718 applied to succeed Eliot of Minto on the bench; but the place was already given to Sir Walter Pringle.

Sir James Grant, 1st Baronet

Appointed King's Advocate, he was created a baronet, "of Dalvey, Elgin", in the baronetage of Nova Scotia on 10 August 1688, with remainder "to his heirs whatsoever".

Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet

The current Keeper of the Signet is Lord Mackay of Clashfern, former Lord Advocate of Scotland and Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom.

World's End Murders

Such was the level of public and media interest in the outcome of the case, on 13 September 2007 the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, took the unusual step of allowing the then Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini, to address parliament on the matter.


see also

Charles Erskine

Charles Erskine, Lord Tinwald (1680–1763), Scottish judge, Lord Advocate, and MP

Duncan Forbes, Lord Culloden

As lord advocate he had been engaged in 1728 in the prosecution of James Carnegie of Finhaven, who had been grossly insulted during one of the usual convivial parties at a funeral by a Mr. Bridgeton, and, trying to stab Bridgeton, had killed Lord Strathmore.

Sir James Stewart

In 1692, after the Glorious Revolution, Stewart was appointed Lord Advocate, and during his term of office introduced legal reforms in Scotland.

Sir James Stewart, 1st Baronet

The elder Stewart was replaced as Lord Advocate by Sir David Dalrymple in 1709, but the younger Stewart succeeded Dalrymple as Solicitor-General, holding the office jointly with Thomas Kennedy of Dunure.