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Crown Office
25/01/2008
The Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, has today announced the appointment of Scotland's most senior Procurator Fiscal, Mrs Catherine Dyer, to a top management post in the Crown Office in Edinburgh. Mrs Dyer, age 48, has been the Area Procurator Fiscal in Glasgow since December 2003.
The new role of Chief of Strategic Delivery, which was created following an internal management review, will see Mrs Dyer work with each of Scotland's 11 Area Procurators Fiscal to ensure that performance remains high. The appointment also strengthens the ability of the prosecution service to take strategic decisions in response to a changing criminal justice landscape.
The Lord Advocate, Mrs Angiolini, said:
"Catherine Dyer is a highly experienced, well respected prosecutor. I believe Catherine is uniquely well equipped for this new and challenging role; she has a highly developed appreciation of the importance of delivering a prosecution service which meets the needs of local communities, and which can adapt quickly and effectively to the changing criminal justice landscape.
"As a prosecution service, we are working in an increasingly complex and challenging environment. Serious and organised crime is ever more sophisticated, with criminals making use of the latest technology, and expanding their operations across national boundaries, so it is vital that we stay one step ahead in our investigation and prosecution activity. I am confident that this review provides the right structures and the right people in key posts to allow us to deliver an effective, professional and responsive prosecution service for Scotland.
Mrs Dyer said:
"I feel very privileged to have this opportunity to work with the Law Officers and with colleagues across Scotland to improve the service which we provide to victims, witnesses and local communities. We do face significant challenges in the next few years in responding to an increasing caseload, while continuing to influence policy development at the heart of the criminal justice system. However I am confident that, in implementing this review, we are well equipped to deliver a first class prosecution service across Scotland."
Mrs Dyer will take up post as Chief of Strategic Delivery in April.
An internal recruitment process will now begin, to fill the 3 senior vacancies which have been created by Mrs Dyer's appointment; by the appointment of Frank Mulholland QC as Solicitor General; and by the resignation of Jim Brisbane to take up an appointment with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Mrs Dyer was the co-author of the Pryce-Dyer report which marked the beginning of a major modernisation programme in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 2002.
Mrs Dyer graduated with an LLB Hons from Glasgow University in 1982 and worked in private practice in Glasgow prior to joining COPFS as a Depute Fiscal in Kilmarnock in 1986. She returned to private practice in 1990 before rejoining COPFS and subsequently held posts in Hamilton, Glasgow, Crown Office, and Edinburgh prior to her appointment as Procurator Fiscal in Linlithgow in 2000. Mrs Dyer was appointed to the newly created post of Director of Change Management in April 2002 and as Senior Assistant Procurator Fiscal at Glasgow in December 2002. She was appointed Area Procurator Fiscal for Glasgow in December 2003.
Mrs Dyer is married with two sons.
The three vacancies which will now be filled by internal competition are the Area Procurator Fiscal for Glasgow (previously held by Mrs Dyer); the Area Procurator Fiscal for Lothian and Borders (previously held by Frank Mulholland QC); and the Deputy Crown Agent (previously held by Jim Brisbane).
The Senior Structures Review is available on the COPFS website.