On 3 October Jim Swire and I wrote to the lord advocate, Frank Mulholland QC, to ask three simple but very important questions. We have just received the response below from the head of the Crown Office’s serious and organised crime division, Lindsey Miller. Eagle-eyed readers will note that it fails to answer any of our questions.
Dear Dr Swire and Mr Ashton
Thank you for your open letter of 3 October to the Lord Advocate. He has asked me to reply on his behalf.
The Lord Advocate is well aware of his duties as a public prosecutor. As the Crown has stated repeatedly, the only appropriate forum for the determination of guilt or innocence is the criminal court.
The criminal investigation remains live, and the Crown will not make any public comment about the nature of that investigation.
Yours sincerely