Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland to step down

Scotland’s top prosecutor, Frank Mulholland QC, will step down as Lord Advocate following May’s Scottish Parliament election.

Mulholland, who was appointed to succeed Dame Elish Angiolini in May 2011, said it is the “right time to step down and do other things”.

The 56-year-old, who previously served as Solicitor General, has overseen some of the country’s most high-profile cases in his time at the Crown Office.

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As Lord Advocate, Mulholland put forward Scotland’s first double jeopardy application in 2014 following an end to the centuries-old rule three years earlier. 

He went on to prosecute the case, leading to Angus Sinclair’s conviction for the murders of 17-year-olds Helen Scott and Christine Eadie after a night out at the World’s End pub on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in 1977.

The case was the longest wait for justice in Scottish legal history - 37 years in total - and resulted in the longest sentence handed down by a judge in Scotland after Sinclair was jailed for a minimum of 37 years.

Mulholland has also prosecuted cases including that of Peter Tobin for the murder of Vicky Hamilton and secured the conviction of John Docherty for the murder of Greenock teenager Elaine Doyle in 1986, one of Scotland’s longest running unsolved murders, during his time as a senior prosecutor.

He said: “It has been a real privilege to serve as Lord Advocate, leading Scotland’s prosecution service and providing independent legal advice to the Scottish Government. However, after nine years as a law officer – the last five as Lord Advocate - I have decided it is the right time to step down and do other things.

“In recent years the Crown has embedded specialisms in the way it does its job. Our expertise in handling offences including rape, domestic abuse, serious organised crime, counter terrorism and cold cases has helped us become one of the most effective prosecution services in the world and given victims greater confidence to report crimes.”

The senior prosecutor, who graduated in law (with honours) from Aberdeen University, was also one of the most vocal proponents for the centuries-old requirement for corroboration in criminal trials to be scrapped.

Mulholland will formally step down when his successor is appointed by the Queen. “It’s been an honour to do this job working with so many dedicated and talented people to deliver justice in some of the most demanding and challenging of cases,” he added.