Faculty of Advocates boss to be new Lord Advocate. THE DEAN of the Faculty of Advocates - James Wolffe QC – has been named Scotland’s latest Lord Advocate.
The appointment – recommended by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and agreed by the Scottish Parliament on June 1st under Motion S5M-00255 – will see Mr Wolffe succeed Frank Mulholland QC as Scotland’s top prosecutor and head of the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).
The number two spot at the Crown Office has been filled by Advocate Alison Di Rollo – who becomes the new Solicitor General - after Lesley Thomson quit the role.
A news release from the Scottish Government said Ms Thomson – who held the post as Solicitor General since 2011 “informed the First Minister she wishes to pursue new challenges.”
The appointments of both Mr Wolffe & Ms Di Rollo – come recently after it was revealed a number of Crown Office staff have been convicted of serious criminal offences - including misuse of drugs, violence & offences against the Police.
A further report in the media revealed Crown Office staff operating an air junkets racket - reported here: Crown Office jet set junket racket - Files reveal Prosecutors spent £57K on international & domestic air travel as crooks deal plea bargains to dodge law & courts.
Among long term investigations by the Crown Office awaiting decisions - the new Lord Advocate will face a decision on whether to prosecute anyone in connection with the £400 million collapsed Hedge Fund.
The Heather Capital collapse – probed by prosecutors and Police for three years – has seen links to judges, prosecutors, top politicians, Police and even the Vatican state - revealed in considerable detail in the Scottish and international media.
It will also fall to James Wolffe’s Crown Office to decide on whether to intervene in any private prosecution brought by relatives of victims those killed in the Glasgow Bin Lorry deaths case.
The First Minister said: “I am extremely pleased to recommend the appointments of James Wolffe and Alison Di Rollo as Scotland’s senior law officers.”
“James has an outstanding legal background and extensive experience at all levels, including the House of Lords, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union.”
“Alison led the work of the ground-breaking National Sexual Crimes Unit (NSCU) for three years, having previously held the role of deputy. Her outstanding leadership in this most sensitive of areas has inspired confidence in all connected to it.”
James Wolffe said: “I thank the First Minister for nominating me to the office of Lord Advocate. If I am appointed, it will be a great privilege to serve Scotland in that role.”
Alison Di Rollo said: “I am both delighted and honoured to be nominated for this role by the First Minister and I am looking forward to working with James in his new role.”
The First Minister thanked both Frank Mulholland QC and Lesley Thomson QC for their service in the roles.
She said: “In his time as Lord Advocate, Frank has made a substantial contribution to both the law and to Scottish society. The creation of the National Sexual Crimes Unit was just one example of the increased specialisation of the Crown Office that Frank Mulholland presided over. In her role as Solicitor General, Lesley’s work, particularly around domestic abuse, was pivotal in moving towards a system that instils confidence in victims of abuse and ensures that their abusers are held to account. I thank both Frank and Lesley for their dedicated service to the Government, to justice and to Scotland as a whole.”
Frank Mulholland announced earlier in March he intended to step down as Lord Advocate after the Scottish Elections held in May.
It has since been announced Mulholland – who campaigned aggressively alongside current Lord President Lord Carloway for the removal of the key injustice safeguard of Corroboration from Scots Law - has been made a judge at the Court of Session.
Among five senators appointed to the College of Justice, Frank Mulholland QC, Sheriff John Beckett QC, Ailsa Carmichael QC, Alistair Clark QC, and Andrew Stewart QC will sit as judges in the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary.
The judicial appointment to be taken up by Frank Mulholland QC, will take effect following the retirement of a senator later in the year.
The appointment of Mulholland to a judicial position comes after the recent appointment of Lord Carloway to the top post of Lord President – head of the Scottish judiciary.
MOTIONED TO BE LAW CHIEF:
Motion S5M-00255: Nicola Sturgeon, Glasgow Southside, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 31/05/2016: First Minister's Appointment of Law Officers
That the Parliament agrees that it be recommended to Her Majesty that James Wolffe be appointed as the Lord Advocate and that Alison Di Rollo be appointed as Solicitor General for Scotland.
Supported by: John Swinney, Joe FitzPatrick Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 01/06/2016
LAW CHIEFS ON THE UP:
James Wolffe QC is a leading Senior Counsel. He became an advocate in 1992 and took silk in 2007. In 2014 he was elected Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. He was First Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Ministers from 2002 to 2007, and served as an Advocate Depute from 2007 to 2010. He has extensive experience of both commercial and public law. He is a member of the Faculty Dispute Resolution Service and was also called to the bar of England & Wales in 2013.
Alison Di Rollo is a Senior Advocate Depute. She joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 1985 as a fiscal. Ms di Rollo then worked in the Policy Group at the Crown Office prior to being appointed Deputy Head of the High Court Unit and later Head of Operational Policy. In May 2008, Ms Di Rollo was seconded from COPFS to take up an appointment as a trial advocate depute. She was appointed as deputy head of the National Sexual Crimes Unit in 2011 and became head of the unit in January 2013.
The Lord Advocate is a Minister of the Scottish Government and acts as principal legal adviser, but decisions by him about criminal prosecutions and the investigation of deaths are taken independently of any other person. In that way, he is not subject to the ordinary rules about collective ministerial decisions.
The Solicitor General is the Lord Advocate’s deputy. She assists the Lord Advocate to carry out his functions. She is also a Minister of the Scottish Government.
For previous articles on the Crown Office, read more here: Scotland's Crown Office - in Crown detail
13 comments:
The more things change the more they stay the same..
aw didums solicitor general not elevated after all lol
How will Wolffe deal with the new legal aid cheats for the dock?
Slap on the wrist or admonished with full faculty honours?
How long before he becomes Wolffe Flaw?
Given the state of the institutionally corrupt Crown Office not long I am guessing.
Literally another poacher turned gamekeeper for the next few years.
One minute representing big business vested interests and bullies then in the next breath representing the Scottish Government.
Come to think of it what is the difference between all of the above? Nil.
These people are just the same and no better as the accountants and so-called financial specialists who flit between Government regulators and banks as we saw in the banking crisis.One minute they are regulating the next they are helping the bank avoid the law bend the rules avoid courts.
Not that they have to avoid the courts as I see you wrote an article exposing judges links to bankers!
I have heard the name Alison Di Rollo before for some reason how long has she been at the crown office?
Good one and glad to see at least one journo is up for reporting as it is without the pr frills
haha scotland crown office sound like gulf states police who go around in lambos beating people up and arresting anyone who DONT take bribes! hahaha
I had dealings with Simon Di Rollo QC, allegedly acting on my behalf, and if Alison Di Rollo is related to him I would advise all concerned to steer clear of both.
Not an unexpected nomination considering other names who put themselves forward.
You will no doubt recall the faculty opposed the removal of corroboration under Wolffe so this is an interesting contrast to the Mulholland Carloway axis on corroboration which you refer to.
I note you include a few other references unpleasing to the establishment.
Keep up the good work.
Another with plenty secrets - no one grabs the Lord Advocate title without a list of fallen under their belt
will the new boss be taking an interest in his two copfs turds who did lines of coke while taking selfies in a well known pub popular with legal types
Presumably the delay in the judicial appointment can be put down to the time required for the new Crown Office admin to cover up the investigation into the brother of the old.After all we cannot have a judge sitting in the court of session with published links to potential criminals and dodgy deals in the dubai desert.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/dirty-cash-probe-brother-lord-7680005
Dirty cash probe brother of Lord Advocate bought luxury Dubai holiday home with tycoon Frankie 'Donuts' Donaldson
3 Apr 2016 By Derek Alexander
WE revealed last week how Lord Advocate's brother Iain Mulholland was at centre of a dirty money probe after arranging a £550k mortgage for rogue lapdance tycoon Steven MacDonald.
A FORMER mortgage broker at the centre of a dirty money probe bought a luxury holiday home in
Dubai with businessman Frankie “Donuts” Donaldson.
Iain Mulholland – younger brother of Scotland’s top prosecutor Frank Mulholland – ploughed £77,000 into the deal.
Tycoon Donaldson paid £30,000 while his estranged partner Jane Clarke supplied £125,000 for the property bought in the desert kingdom in 2009.
Details of Mulholland’s investment with Donaldson emerged during a civil hearing last month.
Donaldson appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court for a proof hearing on March 1.
During proceedings, he was asked about property in Dubai. He told the court that he no longer spoke to Mulholland.
But it was revealed that an apartment was purchased by cash supplied by Donaldson, Mulholland, Clarke and a fourth individual.
Mulholland, 48, transferred £77,000 – which partly paid for the property – from his bank account on March 30, 2009.
The court heard the flat was registered in Donaldson’s name but had since been sold. The property was thought to be worth around £500,000.
Post a Comment