Alumnus Keith Stewart QC confirmed as Scotland's new Advocate General
Sun 18 October 2020
The Edinburgh Law School is delighted to share the news that an Alumnus of ours, Keith Stewart QC has been appointed Advocate General for Scotland, the UK government's Scots law officer.
Criminal silk Keith Stewart QC is an experienced defence counsel who previously worked for Blacks Chambers. He was called to the Bar in 1993 and appointed Queen's Counsel in 2011. He has practised widely in criminal law, both as defence counsel and, from 2003-2009, as a prosecutor, latterly as Senior Advocate-Depute. Other areas of practice have included contract, defamation and personal injury.
Mr Stewart attended George Heriot’s School and studied English at Keble College, Oxford, before getting his LLB from The University of Edinburgh and his diploma from Strathclyde University.
Number 10 Downing Street issued a statement on Thursday 15 October 2020 confirming that the Queen had approved the appointment and a life peerage.
I very much welcome the appointment of Keith Stewart QC as the new Advocate General for Scotland. Mr Stewart is an experienced and highly-respected legal expert, and will be an excellent law officer. I look forward to working with him on the many important issues ahead.
As Advocate General for Scotland, Stewart will be responsible for the oversight of Schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998 relating to ‘devolution issues’ raised before courts or tribunals in Scotland. He can choose to intervene, on behalf of the UK government, in proceedings in which devolution issues have been raised if he so decides, and will consider all Scottish Parliament Bills as they progress, in consultation with interested UK government departments, to assess their legislative competency. Under section 33 of the Scotland Act, the Advocate General has the power to refer Scottish Parliament Bills to the Supreme Court for decisions on their legislative competence.
Mr Stewart succeeds Lord Keen of Elie QC as the chief legal adviser to the UK Government on Scots law. Lord Keen resigned last month after more than five years in the post.
I am very pleased to be appointed as the Advocate General for Scotland. It is a great honour to be one of the UK Government’s law officers, and I very much look forward to playing a part in supporting the work of the UK Government.