Who We Are

The Scottish Police Authority is independent of both the Scottish Government and policing. It is the primary governance body for policing in Scotland, and was established as a public body on 1 April 2013 by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. It was set up to hold the Chief Constable to account; promote, support and oversee improvement in policing. It is also responsible for the management and delivery of Forensic Services in Scotland and Independent Custody Visiting Scotland.

In this section, find out more about the Authority’s priorities, the Board and the Leadership team.

Who We Are

What We Do

The Scottish Police Authority is responsible for maintaining policing. It has four specific areas of responsibility:

promoting the policing principles

supporting continuous improvement

keeping policing under review

holding the Chief Constable to account.

This section tells you in outline what the Authority does.

What We Do

Complaints

Are you dissatisfied with the service you have received from policing in Scotland?

The Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland and the Police Investigations and Reviews Commissioner (PIRC) all have a role to play in considering complaints about policing in Scotland.

In this section, find out who to direct your complaint to. We also welcome written communication in Gaelic (see our Gaelic Language Plan).

Complaints

Published: 23 October 2023

FOI 2023/24-039 - Legal fees in relation to senior officer matter

LET 20231011 FOI Response 2023 24 039 For DL (pdf, .26MB )

Report Summary

This FOI response confirms spend on legal fees for an individual case.

Response

In relation to the case in question, the amount which the Authority has spent on legal fees is £71,737.50 (excluding VAT which is recouped). These costs cover the period from 18 November 2021 to 9 October 2023.

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Related Publications

The documents below are related by Topic and are the most recently published

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FOI 2025/26-063 - Complaints received by the Authority where Police Scotland is the responsible authority

Published: 15 September 2025

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FOI 2025/26-059 - Oversight of enforcement infrastructure, private session transparency and legal status of the Authority

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FOI 2025/26-062 - Misconduct hearings chaired by named officer resulting in Police Appeals Tribunals

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FOI 2025/26-050 - Donald Trump's visit to Scotland in July 2025

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FOI 2023/24-039 - Legal fees in relation to senior officer matter

Report Summary

Response

Related Publications

FOI 2025/26-063 - Complaints received by the Authority where Police Scotland is the responsible authority

FOI 2025/26-059 - Oversight of enforcement infrastructure, private session transparency and legal status of the Authority

FOI 2025/26-062 - Misconduct hearings chaired by named officer resulting in Police Appeals Tribunals

FOI 2025/26-050 - Donald Trump's visit to Scotland in July 2025