"It has been a privilege to serve as Lord Advocate and to contribute to public life in Scotland. To have led the systems for the prosecution of crime and investigation of deaths is an honour I will carry with me always.
The decisions taken in this office have immense consequences for victims, accused persons and the wider public. I have never lost sight of the magnitude of that responsibility, and I have tried at every turn to discharge my duties with independence and integrity.
I have sought to encourage change, so that the lived experience of victims is recognised and placed at its heart. That has meant supporting reform, strengthening the prosecution of sexual crime, and ensuring a resolute response to women who lose their lives to domestic abuse.
The prosecutors who appear daily in our courts do exceptional work. They prosecute cases in Scotland with skill, composure and a commitment to fairness that does this country credit. I thank each of them sincerely.
Across the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the people who keep the system running work largely unseen. Their dedication underpins everything else, and my admiration for them is lasting.
I am grateful also to the many others on whom this system depends, including the judiciary, the defence Bar, Police Scotland, and the agencies and experts whose work is integral to so much of what we do. Criminal justice is a collective endeavour, and I have been fortunate to work with people of great professionalism throughout.
I leave this office with confidence in the strength of Scotland’s justice system and the people who sustain it every day."
Dorothy Bain KC