SCOTLAND’S Lord Advocate is to stand down, the Scottish Government has confirmed.
Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC and Solicitor General Alison Di Rollo QC have both announced their intention to leave office.
Wolffe has fulfilled the dual role of the Lord Advocate, acting as head of the prosecution system and sitting in the Cabinet to provide legal advice to ministers, since 2016.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had been made aware of Wolffe’s intention to step down before the Holyrood elections on May 6.
He reportedly confirmed this decision following the election, but will stay in the role until a replacement can be found and appointed.
The spokesperson said: "The Lord Advocate informed the First Minister last year that he intended to leave office following the recent election and confirmed his intention before her re-election by the Scottish Parliament as First Minister.
"The Solicitor General has confirmed her intention to stand down at the same time.
“It is for the First Minister to nominate new Law Officers and, subject to approval of her nominees by the Scottish Parliament, to recommend their appointment to Her Majesty the Queen.
"The current Law Officers intend to remain in office until the new Law Officers are appointed."
Wolffe’s resignation follows a spate of controversies during his five-year tenure and comes amid calls from the opposition parties to have the Lord Advocate role divided in two.
In February, Wolffe issued a public apology to two men wrongfully prosecuted after a fraud investigation relating to the sale of Rangers Football Club.
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He referred to it as a “very serious failure” in the prosecution system and the men were awarded more than £10 million each in damages.
Former first minister Alex Salmond also criticised the Crown Office, headed by Wolffe, over demands that his evidence to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints be redacted.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP should use this opportunity to separate the role of the Lord Advocate as the independent head of the prosecution system from sitting in the cabinet and being a member of the government.
“In that way the post will in future be truly independent.”
According to reports in The Sunday Times, Laura Dunlop QC, who headed the Scottish Government’s review of procedure for handling harassment complaints, is one potential successor in the Lord Advocate role.
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