Catherine Smith KC was sworn in as Advocate General for Scotland at a ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh today (Friday 27 September).
Ms Smith’s appointment means that for the first time, Scotland’s three law officers are all female, following Dorothy Bain KC and Ruth Charteris KC being appointed Lord Advocate and Solicitor General of Scotland respectively in 2021.
Ms Smith said: “It is a privilege to be sworn in as Advocate General for Scotland. As a Law Officer in the UK Government, I have a responsibility, along with the Attorney General and the Solicitor General for England and Wales, to uphold and promote the rule of law in government.
“I look forward to collaborating with the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General for Scotland on areas of shared interest. I am honoured to join them as a Scottish Law Officer, the first time that the three offices have been concurrently held by women.”
Ms Smith was called to the Bar in 2007 and took silk in 2021. She acted as a part-time Sheriff and sat on the Scottish Civil Justice Council. She was Standing Junior Counsel to the Advocate General from 2012 – 2021 and conducted many cases representing the UK Government. She is one of only two advocates in Scotland to have acted as Counsel to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and was on the Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel of Counsel.
Ms Smith has had a varied career at the Bar, specialising in criminal law in the early years and later working in public law, personal injury and clinical negligence. She has also conducted public inquiries, including representing COSLA and 29 of the 32 Scottish local authorities in the UK and Scottish Covid Inquiries.
She is also a founding member and former Deputy Chair of JUSTICE Scotland. She has travelled extensively in the post-Soviet states to support human rights focused activities, including visiting Kyiv and Warsaw in the last year.
