The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (), commonly referred to as the Justice Secretary (), is a position in the cabinet of the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary has overall responsibility for law and order in Scotland. The current Cabinet Secretary for Justice is Neil Gray, who was appointed in May 2026.
The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, Siobhian Brown.
History The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Justice, with the advent of devolution and the institution of the Scottish Parliament, taking over some of the roles and functions of the former Scottish Office Minister of State for Home Affairs that existed prior to 1999.
As with the UK Secretary of State for Justice, but unlike some other justice ministers, the Cabinet Secretary does not have any oversight of prosecutions - in Scotland these are handled by the Lord Advocate.
Overview
Responsibilities The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice include: Policing Fire and rescue services Courts & sentencing The justice system and criminal law procedure Violence reduction Prison reform and prisoner policy Reducing reoffending Security Youth justice Access to justice Civil law Victim/witness support Criminal injuries compensation Legal aid fund Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Bairn's Hoose Justice reform National Community Justice Strategy Veterans
Public bodies
The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice: Disclosure Scotland Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland Judicial Complaints Reviewer Parole Board for Scotland Police Investigations and Review Commissioner Risk Management Authority Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Scottish Law Commission Scottish Legal Aid Board Scottish Legal Complaints Commission Scottish Police Authority Scottish Prison Service Scottish Social Services Council
Salary The Cabinet Secretary for Justice is paid a total salary of , which is made up of for being a MSP, and an additional allowance of for the responsibility of being a Cabinet Secretary.
List of office holders Minister for Justice NamePortraitEntered officeLeft officePartyFirst Minister Jim Wallace 19 May 199921 May 2003Liberal Democrats Donald DewarHenry McLeishJack McConnell Cathy Jamieson 21 May 200317 May 2007Scottish LabourJack McConnell Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill17 May 200721 November 2014Scottish National Party Alex SalmondMichael Matheson21 November 201426 June 2018Nicola SturgeonHumza Yousaf26 June 201819 May 2021Keith Brown20 May 202129 March 2023 Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance29 March 202320 May 2026Scottish National Party Humza YousafJohn Swinney Cabinet Secretary for Justice Neil Gray20 May 2026IncumbentScottish National PartyJohn Swinney
See also Politics of Scotland Scottish Government Scottish Parliament
References