Advocate General for Scotland

United Kingdom
Advocate General
for Scotland
Royal Coat of Arms used by the
Monarch in Scotland

Flag of Scotland
Incumbent
Catherine Smith, Baroness Smith of Cluny
since 29 August 2024
Office of the Advocate General for Scotland
StyleThe Right Honourable
Reports toPrime Minister
AppointerThe King (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Formation1999

His Majesty's Advocate General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, whose job is to advise the Crown and His Majesty's Government on Scots law. Their power over Scots law is limited, with the majority of power and decision making being the responsibility of the Lord Advocate in their role as the chief legal adviser and public prosecutor for the Scottish Government.

The Office of the Advocate General for Scotland is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom.

List of Advocates General for Scotland

Advocate General for Scotland
Portrait Name
(birth–death)		 Term of office Party Ministry Ref.
Lynda Clark
Baroness Clark of Calton
(born 1949)		 19 May
1999		 18 January
2006		 Labour Blair I
Blair II
Neil Davidson
Baron Davidson of Glen Clova
(born 1950)		 21 March
2006		 11 May
2010
Blair III
 
Brown
 
Baron Wallace of Tankerness
(1954–2026)		 14 May
2010		 8 May
2015		 Liberal
Democrat		 Cameron–Clegg
(Con.–LD)

Richard Keen
Baron Keen of Elie
(born 1954)		 29 May
2015		 16 September
2020		 Conservative Cameron II
May I
May II
Johnson I
Johnson II
Keith Stewart
Baron Stewart of Dirleton
(born 1965)		 15 October
2020		 5 July
2024
Truss
Sunak
Catherine Smith
Baroness Smith of Cluny
(born 1973)		 29 August
2024		 present Labour Starmer
Burnham

Notes

  1. ↑ MP for Edinburgh Pentlands until 2005; created Baroness Clark of Calton thereafter

References

  1. ↑ Torrance, David (23 November 2022). "Supreme Court judgment on Scottish independence referendum". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  2. ↑ "Law officers". www.parliament.scot. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "List of Ministerial Responsibilities. Including Executive Agencies and Non-Ministerial Departments" (PDF). Cabinet Office. December 2013. p. 47. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Baroness Clark of Calton". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Lord Davidson of Glen Clova". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "Lord Wallace of Tankerness". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  7. ↑ "Lord Keen of Elie". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  8. ↑ "Keith Stewart QC". GOV.UK. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "Keith Stewart QC appointed Advocate General for Scotland". Holyrood Magazine. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  10. ↑ "Keith Stewart QC to be next Advocate General for Scotland". Scottish Legal News. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  11. ↑ "Labour hand life peerage and top Scottish law role to party dynast". The National. 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  12. ↑ "Round up of Burnham's ministerial appointments". LabourList. 2026-07-21. Retrieved 2026-07-22.