23 March 2016

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has praised Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland for his substantial contribution to society after he announced he will step down from the role.

Mr Mulholland will leave the post in May after five years as Scotland’s chief law officer.

He previously served as the Solicitor General and succeeded Dame Elish Angiolini QC as Lord Advocate in 2011.

The First Minister said:

 Frank Mulholland has fulfilled the challenging roles as head of Scotland’s prosecution service and as the Scottish Government’s principal legal adviser, with dedication, energy, integrity and intellect.

“He has played a central role in many innovations to our justice system, including leading Scotland’s first successful ‘double jeopardy’ murder prosecution and agreeing a historic communiqué with the heads of prosecution services from across the UK and Ireland to work together to tackle the cross-border crime of human trafficking.

“He has introduced a number of significant reforms to the Crown Office including the establishment of the National Sexual Crimes Unit and the appointment of Scotland’s first specialist prosecutor to deal with domestic abuse – two reforms which have strengthened the rights and confidence of victims of these horrendous crimes.

“It is worth noting that the final Bill considered by the Scottish Parliament in the current session includes provisions for a new specific offence against the unauthorised sharing of intimate images, an issue which he played an essential role in highlighting.

“It is clear that he has worked to bring about change to ensure that the system makes a real difference to people’s lives, and his dedication to the law and his compassion for others has been behind that drive.

“Frank has made a substantial contribution to the law and Scottish society. I’m confident that he will continue to do so and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for his service and wish him well for the future.”