Scotland. The Secretary of State for Scotland recommends the appointment of all judges other than the most serious ones

The Secretary of State for Scotland recommends the appointment of all judges other than the most serious ones, appoints the staff of the High Court of Justiciary and the Court of Session, and is responsible for the composition, staffing and organisation of the sheriff courts. District courts are staffed and administered by the district and islands local au­thorities. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the criminal law of Scotland, crime prevention, and the police and the penal system, and is advised on parole matters by the Parole Board for Scotland. The Secre­tary of State is also responsible for legal aid in Scotland.

The Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for Scotland are the chief legal advisers to the Government on Scottish questions and the principal representatives of the Crown for the purposes of litigation in Scotland. Both are government ministers. The Lord Advocate is closely concerned with questions of legal policy and administration and is also responsible for the Scottish parliamentary draftsmen. He has overall re­sponsibility for the prosecution of crime in Scotland and, although he holds a ministerial post, he must exercise an independent discretion on carrying out this responsibility.