Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Lord Advocate

11 March 2026 · 1 other contributor

Opened by John Cooper Con Dumfries and Galloway

Justice & CourtsScotlandStandards & Ethics

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

John Cooper raised concerns about lord advocate in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Chaos and decay are priced into the lives of people in Scotland under the Scottish National Party Administration at Holyrood.
  • The Lord Advocate, Scotland's most senior law officer, sits in Cabinet as a key adviser to the Scottish Executive.
  • The Bill seeks to separate the Lord Advocate's role as Government adviser from their role in Scotland's prosecution service to ensure independence.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

John Cooper Con Dumfries and Galloway

Chaos and decay are priced into the lives of people in Scotland as they suffer under the yoke of the Scottish National party Administration at Holyrood. The Lord Advocate, the most senior law officer in Scotland, sits in Cabinet as a pivotal adviser to the Scottish Executive, raising concerns about conflict of interests. Recent revelations about the Lord Advocate's briefings to the First Minister regarding a court case highlight the need for separation of the Lord Advocate's roles. The Bill aims to separate the role of the Lord Advocate from that of Government adviser to ensure the independence of Scotland's prosecution service.

Other contributors (1)
  • John Cooper Con Dumfries and Galloway

    The Lord Advocate's dual role as head of criminal prosecutions and Government adviser creates a conflict of interest and undermines public trust in Scots law. Recent revelations about briefings to the First Minister about a court case have shattered the comfortable nostrum that the Lord Advocate simply recuses herself in certain cases. The situation demands action this day, and the Bill seeks to separate the roles to align with best practices in modern democracies.

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