Dorothy Bain | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Lord Advocate | |
| Assumed office 22 June 2021 | |
| Monarchs | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon Humza Yousaf John Swinney |
| Solicitor General | Ruth Charteris KC |
| Preceded by | James Wolffe |
| Principal Advocate Depute | |
| In office June 2009 – July 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dorothy Ruth Bain 1964 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Lord Turnbull |
| Alma mater | University of Aberdeen |
| Occupation | Advocate |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Dorothy Ruth Bain KC (born 1964) is a Scottish advocate who has served as Lord Advocate since 2021.[1] She is the second woman to hold the office after Lady Elish Angiolini KC. Bain previously served as the Principal Advocate Depute from 2009 to 2011, the first woman to hold the prosecutorial position in Scotland.[2]
Born in Edinburgh, Bain attended the University of Aberdeen School of Law, graduating with an LLB and a Diploma in Legal Practice. In 1994, she became an advocate and in 2007 she was appointed Queen's Counsel, now King's Counsel.[1] Bain served as an Advocate Depute in the Crown Office from 2002 to 2011 and was appointed the first female Principal Advocate Depute from 2009 to 2011. In 2008, she was commissioned to report on the prosecution of sex crimes in Scotland, the outcome of which led to the formation of Scotland's National Sex Crimes Unit in 2009.[1][3] She returned to private practice in 2011.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon nominated Bain for Lord Advocate and on 22 June 2021 she was sworn into office at the Court of Session with Ruth Charteris KC, Solicitor General. It is the first time both positions have been held by women at the same time. In October 2022, she argued the Scottish Government's unsuccessful case in the UK Supreme Court on the legality of a second referendum on Scottish Independence.[4]
- ^ a b c "Dorothy Ruth Bain". Faculty of Advocates. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "Dorothy Bain QC - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Scotland's top lawyer publishes indyref argument to Supreme Court". STV News. 22 July 2022. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.