lord advocate

Her Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (Morair Tagraidh in Scots Gaelic), was the chief legal adviser of the United Kingdom Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters until the passing of the Scotland Act 1998. Under the Scotland Act 1998 he is now a member of the Scottish Executive and advises the Crown and the Scottish Executive on legal matters which fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. The office is one of the Great Offices of State in Scotland. The United Kingdom Government is now advised on Scots law by an Advocate General for Scotland. Unlike the Attorney General for England and Wales, the Lord Advocate is not head of the Scottish Bar: that position is held by the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. In addition to his advisory role, the Lord Advocate along with the Solicitor General for Scotland head up the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) which together constitute the Criminal Prosecution Service in Scotland.

Lord Advocates

John Ross: 1483 - 1494
James Henderson: 1494 - 1503
Richard Lawson: 1503 - 1521
James Wishart: 1521 - 1525
Adam Otterburn: 1525 - 1527
John Foulis and Adam Otterburn: 1527 - 1533
Adam Otterburn and Henry Lauder: 1533
Henry Balnavis: temp. Mary I
Thomas Cummin
John Spence: 1561
Robert Crichton
David Brothwick: 1573 - 1582
David MacGill: 1582 - 1589
John Skene: 1589 - 1594
William Hart: 1594
Andrew Logie: 1594 - 1595
Sir Thomas Hamilton: 1595
David MacGill
Sir Thomas Hamilton
Sir William Oliphant: 1612 - 1626
Thomas Hope: 1626 - 1641
Sir Archibald Johnston
Sir Thomas Nicholson
Sir Archibald Primrose: 1659 - 1661
Sir John Fletcher
Sir John Nisbet
Sir George Mackenzie
John Dalrymple: 1687
Sir George Mackenzie: 1687 - 1689
Sir William James Stewart: 1689 - 1709
Sir David Dalrymple: 1709 - 1720
Robert Dundas: 1720 - 1725
Duncan Forbes: 1725 - 1737
Charles Erskine: 1737 - 1742
Robert Craigie: 1742 - 1746
William Grant: 1746 - 1754
Robert Dundas: 1754 - 1760
Thomas Miller: 1760 - 1766
James Montgomery: 1766 - 1775
Henry Dundas: 1775 - 1783
The Hon. Henry Erskine: 1783 - 1784
Ilay Campbell: 1784 - 1789
Robert Dundas: 1789 - 1801
Charles Hope: 1801 - 1804
Sir James Montgomery: 1804 - 1806
The Hon. Henry Erskine: 1806 - 1807
Archibald Colquhoun: 1807 - 1816
Alexander Maconochie: 1816 - 1819
Sir William Rae: 1819 - 1830
F. Jeffrey: December 1830 - May 1834
J. Murray: May - November 1834
Sir W. Rae: December 1834 - April 1835
J. Murray: April 1835 - April 1839
A. Rutherfurd: April 1839 - September 1841
Sir W. Rae: September 1841 - October 1842
D. McNeill: October 1842 - July 1846
A. Rutherfurd: July 1846 - April 1851
J. Moncrieff: April 1851 - February 1852
A. Anderson: February - May 1852
J. Inglis: May - December 1852
J. Moncrieff: December 1852 - March 1858
J. Inglis: March - July 1858
C. Baillie: July 1858 - April 1859
D. Mure: April - June 1859
J. Moncrieff: June 1859 - July 1866
G. Patton: July 1866 - February 1867
E. Gordon: February 1867 - December 1868
J. Moncrieff: December 1868 - October 1869
G. Young: October 1869 - February 1874
E. Gordon: February - July 1874
W. Watson: July 1874 - April 1880
J. McLaren: May 1880 - August 1881
Sir John Blair Balfour: August 1881 - July 1885
J. H. Macdonald: July 1885 - February 1886
Sir John Blair Balfour: February - August 1886
J. H. Macdonald: August 1886 - October 1888
J. P. Robertson: October 1888 - August 1891
Sir C. J. Pearson: October 1891 - August 1892
Sir John Blair Balfour: August 1892 - July 1895
Sir C. J. Pearson: July 1895 - May 1896
A. G. Murray: May 1896 - October 1903
C. S. Dickson: October 1903 - December 1905
Thomas Shaw: 1905 - 1909
Alexander Ure: 1909 - 1913
Robert Munro: 1913 - 1916
James Clyde: 1919 - 1920
Thomas Morison: 1920 - 1922
C. Murray: 1920 - 1922
William Watson: 1922 - 1924
Hugh MacMillan: 1924
William Watson: 1924 - 1929
A. MacRobert: 1929
Craigie Mason Aitchison: 1929 - 1933

incomplete

Norman Wylie Murray: 1970 - 1974
Ronald King Murray: 1974 - 1979
James Mackay, Lord Mackay of Clashfern: 1979 - 1987
Kenneth Cameron, Lord Cameron of Lochbroom: 1987 - 1989
Peter Fraser, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie: 1989 - 1992
Alan Rodger, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry: 1992 - 1995
Donald Mackay, Lord Mackay of Drumadoon: 1995 - 1997
Andrew Hardie, Lord Hardie: 1997 - 2001
Colin Boyd: 2001 - Present

Lord Advocate

Lord Advocates

See also