Crown Office chief Catherine Dyer to retire next month

Catherine Dyer, the first female crown agent and chief executive of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), will stand down next month.

The principal legal adviser to the Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC intends to retire after more than six years as the civil service head of COPFS staff.

The Crown Office has started a recruitment process to appoint her successor to a post that attracts an annual salary of £105,000.

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The announcement of Dyer’s departure comes just a few weeks on from the experienced solicitor being awarded a CBE for her services to law and order.

She was the first woman to hold the post of area procurator fiscal at Glasgow - the largest prosecutors office in Scotland - between 2003 and 2008, before going on to become the first woman to be appointed as crown agent and chief executive.

A Crown Office spokesman said: “The crown agent Catherine Dyer intimated last year that she planned to retire and she has now told staff she will leave at the end of March 2016.

“During her time in the role, Catherine Dyer has transformed the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service by introducing specialisms and bringing forward prosecution policies to combat hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual offences.

“Her strong and inspirational leadership drove the organisation firmly into the 21st century. Due to her commitment and vision the organisation now has equalities and diversity values at its heart.

“COPFS’s contribution in this area has resulted in the organisation winning prestigious UK awards including Stonewall top 10 employer, top Scottish Public Sector Employer and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion Team of the Year.”

A closing date of 19 February has been set for applications to replace Dyer, with interviews scheduled to take place on 16 March.