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Admin
history |
At the start of this century there were many procurators fiscal throughout Scotland carrying out the duties of public prosecutor. There was no unified procurator fiscal service with a settled career structure and with avenues of promotion. The individual salary was derived from Treasury sources and from a share of a variety of court fees. Many procurators fiscal held part-time appointments and were required to meet the expenses of running their own offices and paying for their deputies. The Sheriff Courts and Legal Officers (Scotland) Act 1927 was the result of a scrutiny by a variety of Government committees. That Act confirmed the Lord Advocate's right to appoint procurators fiscal. The appointment of procurators fiscal, their pay and the restriction to be placed on their legal practice also fell to be determined by the Lord Advocate but subject to Treasury approval. There very soon developed full-time procurators fiscal enjoying the status, security and other benefits of being civil servants. The Procurators Fiscal Society came into existence in 1930 to represent the interests of the lawyers engaged wholly in the work of public prosecutor. |