Meeting of the Parliament 17 June 2026 [Last updated 18:21]
I put on the record my thanks, and the thanks of the Scottish Labour Party, for the work done by Dorothy Bain KC as Lord Advocate over the past five years. Dorothy Bain is a highly regarded professional who has given dedicated service to her country and her profession, and we thank her for that service.
The office of Lord Advocate is one of the most serious and sensitive roles in public life. It requires independence, judgment and a clear sense of public duty. During Dorothy Bain’s tenure, there have been major challenges and changes, including several First Ministers, high-profile police investigations and a change of monarch, all of which situations have required Ms Bain’s expertise.
In that time, serious political questions around the dual role of the Lord Advocate and their duties, remit and responsibilities have emerged. Those are legitimate questions on issues of conflict and compromise, but none—and I stress none—questioned the ability, character or integrity of the individual. However, those are legitimate questions for this Parliament and for the Government, and the Scottish National Party Government’s refusal to properly face up to those questions has left the Parliament dealing with a role that still requires reform.
I emphasise that, in some ways, the failure to address that issue itself is unfair on the occupant of the office of Lord Advocate. Let me stress again that this debate is not about the ability or character of Ruth Charteris or anyone who has held that office before her. Ruth Charteris is someone whom I like, respect and hold in high regard, as I do her predecessor, and I have no doubt that she will do the job to the best of her ability and to the standard that the people in this country expect.
Today’s choice is about deciding who is best placed to occupy an office that remains flawed but central to the rule of law in Scotland. As she has been Solicitor General since 2021, and given her an illustrious career as an advocate and a KC, it is clear that Ruth Charteris is more than qualified for the important role that she is now set to occupy. As she is a highly respected legal professional, I am sure that Ruth Charteris KC will bring her extensive and well-honed experience to the role of Lord Advocate.
Similarly, Brian Gill KC, who is one of Scotland’s most senior advocates, and who has acted in cases on important legislation such as that on the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, will bring a great amount of knowledge and insight to the role of Solicitor General.
Both Ruth Charteris KC and Brian Gill KC are highly respected and commended legal professionals, and I am sure that they will do all that they can to serve the Government and, by extension, the people of this great country.
As this new Parliament continues to find its feet following the election, few MSPs would not agree that the need for senior law officers who are committed to the highest standards of public service is clear. In only the past few years, we have seen the need for the people of Scotland to have a clear voice to challenge and engage with the machinery of the justice system, whether it be in relation to the Emma Caldwell case, the Sheku Bayoh case, the scandal at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital, the infected blood scandal, the Post Office Horizon scandal or the ongoing Scottish Covid inquiry.
Behind each of those cases are people, families and communities who have had to fight for answers, and all those issues and more demand the highest quality of legal advice at the heart of Government and a serious understanding of the duty underpinning the law that must serve the people of this country. The law must serve the public; it must not serve the convenience of institutions, the comfort of ministers or the interests of those who are already in positions of power. That is what the country expects from its new Lord Advocate and Solicitor General, and I am sure that Ruth Charteris KC and Brian Gill KC will do to their utmost to fulfil those roles.
Today, Scottish Labour supports the appointments that have been put before the Parliament, but we call again for a serious debate, a plan and a timeline for reforming the role of the Lord Advocate. That should be a serious, constructive debate that is rooted in the public interest.
I take the opportunity again to congratulate both Ruth Charteris KC and Brian Gill KC, and I look forward to engaging with them positively. I thank them for the service that they have already given to our country, which I am sure they will continue to give in the coming years.