Area fiscal for Glasgow appointed

Lesley Thomson takes up role as Scotland's most senior procurator fiscal

News, 19 May 2008

Lesley Thomson has been appointed to Scotland’s most senior procurator fiscal post – area procurator fiscal for Glasgow.

One of Ms Thomson’s first priorities will be to strengthen the new area High Court unit in Glasgow, which is aimed at tackling serious crime in a targeted way, by appointing a senior fiscal to lead the unit. The unit draws together professional expertise from across the three Glasgow divisions.

Ms Thomson joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 1985 and subsequently held posts in Greenock, Glasgow, Crown Office Fraud Unit, Paisley and Selkirk. In 2002 she was appointed head of the Criminal Confiscation Unit in 2003 head of the Financial Crime Unit at Crown Office. She was made district procurator fiscal, Edinburgh and Haddington in 2006, and became interim area procurator fiscal, Lothian and Borders, in May 2007.

Glasgow accounts for more than 30% of the High Court cases in Scotland, and Crown Office staff deal with some 78,000 cases a year.

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini said: "Lesley Thomson is a highly experienced and well respected prosecutor. Her career to date in the fiscal service makes her the ideal person for this most senior and important post."

Ms Thomson added: "I am looking forward to working with some of the most talented and experienced prosecutors in Glasgow to tackle serious crime. It is not all about serious crime though and I will be playing a major part, working with partners, to tackle the wide range of antisocial behaviour which affect the people of Glasgow and the image of the city.

“The Clean Glasgow campaign is a wonderful example, where the Glasgow procurator fiscal office, working closely with Glasgow City Council, has over the past year helped to create a better environment fit for a vibrant city that plays host to significant large scale public events."