The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (new window) (COPFS) is responsible for the prosecution of crime in Scotland, the investigation of sudden or suspicious deaths and complaints against the police. We work closely with our partners in the criminal justice system to help make Scotland a safer place.
Our strategic aim is to provide an independent, modern prosecution service for the 21st century - committed to professional excellence, pursuing cases fairly and consistently in the public interest and being responsive to the public's needs. COPFS is a department of the Scottish Executive.
The Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, is the Ministerial Head of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and the head of the systems of criminal prosecution and the investigation of deaths. She is assisted by the Solicitor General, Frank Mulholland QC.
They are the Law Officers and Ministers of the Scottish Executive. The service is divided into 11 areas, each headed by an Area Procurator Fiscal (APF) who is responsible for managing the business in that area. District Procurator Fiscals hold the Lord Advocate's commission to prosecute crime and investigate sudden deaths for each district office.
The District Procurator Fiscal for Linlithgow, covering West Lothian, is Adrian Cottam.
