‘Conflict of interest’ fears over Salmond and Murrell cases, warns Joanna Cherry

Joanna Cherry has told a Westminster inquiry that the handling of criminal cases involving Alex Salmond and Peter Murrell has raised questions about whether Scotland’s prosecutors are sufficiently independent of the SNP Government. She argues that combining the Lord Advocate’s role as chief prosecutor with the post of the Scottish Government’s top legal adviser risks creating a perceived conflict of interest or bias in politically sensitive cases.

Cherry also raised concerns about close links between government civil servants and prosecution staff, citing the transfer of a report about allegations against Salmond to the Crown Office. Her evidence refers to several cases, including Salmond’s 2020 acquittal on 13 charges, the Murrell case and the Operation Branchform investigation into SNP finances. Murrell was jailed for more than five years after embezzling more than £400,000 from the party; Cherry said rules on the Lord Advocate’s recusal and sharing of information were unclear.