Dorothy Ruth Bain is a Scottish advocate and legal figure who has served as the Lord Advocate since 2021, becoming only the second woman to hold this prestigious office. Born in Edinburgh, Bain pursued her legal education at the University of Aberdeen School of Law, where she earned her LLB and a Diploma in Legal Practice. She was admitted as an advocate in 1994 and appointed Queen's Counsel (now King's Counsel) in 2007.\n\nThroughout her career, Bain has broken several barriers in the Scottish legal system. From 2002 to 2011, she served as an Advocate Depute in the Crown Office, culminating in her appointment as the first female Principal Advocate Depute from 2009 to 2011. In 2008, she was commissioned to conduct a landmark report on the prosecution of sex crimes in Scotland, which directly led to the establishment of the country's National Sex Crimes Unit in 2009.\n\nFollowing a decade in private practice, Bain was nominated as Lord Advocate by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and sworn into office in June 2021 alongside Solicitor General Ruth Charteris, marking the first time both of Scotland's top legal offices were held by women simultaneously. In October 2022, she represented the Scottish Government in the UK Supreme Court regarding the legality of a second referendum on Scottish independence.
