As well as departmental management responsibility , the Lord Advocate is directly responsible for prosecuting the most serious crimes , in the High Court of Justiciary at first instance and the Court of Criminal Appeal . Unless the cases are of especial importance , such as the Lockerbie trial held at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands , the prosecutions are normally ( but not always ) led by Advocates Depute who are known collectively as Crown Counsel and are experienced members of the Faculty of Advocates normally appointed for a limited period of three years . Their decision to prosecute in this way is taken in the light of the Procurator Fiscal 's recommendations and a report prepared by the police , and any such reports are subject to the direction of the Lord Advocate . This prosecutorial role can not be removed from her by the Scottish Parliament
Lockerbie trial
Pan Am Flight 103
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service