The office of the Advocate General for Scotland was created as a consequence of the constitutional changes brought about by devolution and the Scotland Act 1998. It was this Act that created a devolved Scottish Parliament.
In addition to providing legal advice on Scots law, in conjunction with the Attorney General and Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Advocate General provides legal advice to all Government departments on a wide variety of issues including European law, human rights law and constitutional law. By long-standing convention, followed by successive administrations, the content and existence of Law Officers' advice is confidential and not disclosed outside Government.