Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

15 October 2007

FOUR ADVOCATE DEPUTES APPOINTED

The pool of legal talent available for prosecuting cases in the High Court widened today as The Lord Advocate, The Right Honourable Elish Angiolini QC, announced the latest Advocate Depute appointments.

Two appointments to the Senior Advocate Depute group are being made: James Wolffe QC who is currently serving as an Advocate Depute and Gary Allan QC who is an experienced Counsel at the Scottish Bar, and who has previously practised as an ad hoc Advocate Depute.

Two appointments to the Advocate Depute team are also being made: Derick Nelson and Jennifer Bain, who are both members of the Faculty of Advocates and have previously practised as ad hoc Advocate Deputes.

Elish Angiolini said:

"I am pleased to be announcing these appointments. The Crown continues to attract high quality candidates from diverse legal backgrounds and I am confident that these appointments from the Faculty of Advocates will further enhance and strengthen our Crown Counsel team who continue to take forward the prosecution of the most serious crime in Scotland."

Notes to Editors:

• New arrangements for the appointment and role of Advocate Deputes were announced in December 2002 in the document 'Modernising the Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward'. These can be viewed at
  /Publications/2002/12/adchange
• Advocate Deputes are referred to collectively as Crown Counsel.
• James Wolffe QC was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1992 and took Silk in 2007. He has been First Standing Junior to the Scottish Ministers since 2002. James has served as an Advocate Depute since his appointment on 10 January 2007. James took up his appointment as a Senior Advocate Depute with effect from 8 October 2007.
• Gary Allan QC, currently serving as an ad hoc Advocate Depute, was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1994 and took Silk in 2007. He was a Solicitor in Glasgow for 11 years. Gary will take up his appointment as a Senior Advocate Depute with effect from 1 November 2007. Gary has a particular interest in Health & Safety and Environmental Law.
• Derick Nelson, currently serving as an ad hoc Advocate Depute, was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1999, following a period of 14 years as a Solicitor. Derick will take up his appointment as an Advocate Depute with effect from 29 October 2007.
• Jennifer Bain, currently serving as an ad hoc Advocate Depute, was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2002. Jennifer's start date as an Advocate Depute is yet to be finalised.

7. These appointments cover for current and planned vacancies and temporarily will take the number of Advocate Deputes at the end of October 2007 to 27.

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