Magazine poll says Lord Advocate should say who paid to hush the media
A poll running on the website of legal magazine The Firm shows that 93% of people think Scotland's Lord Advocate should reveal who paid legal bills to stop media reporting of paedophile case.
Last year the Lord Advocate threatened to sue The Firm for reporting complaints from the family of Hollie Greig, a young Down’s Syndrome child at the time she claimed to be the victim of an alleged paedophile ring.
Levy and McRae represented Angiolini and reported The Drum magazine to the Press Complaints Commission over a report on a failed Freedom of Information request to find out who paid the bill for the Lord Advocate’s action against The Firm, and also for another letter sent out by Levy & McRae in the name of the Lord Advocate, which appeared to threaten an English website with libel action for naming a Sheriff at the centre of the allegations.
The Drum is continuing to try to establish how much was paid by the Lord Advocate in legal fees and who Levy and McRae was representing in these matters.
Both approaches to the Crown Office have been rejected so far and the outcome of an appeal to the FOI Commissioner suggests that he is barred from investigating Crown Office financial matters.
A further appeal has been lodged.
The Press Complaints Commisison ruled against the Lord Advocate and found that the Drum had not breached the Press Complaints Commission Code of Practice.