The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ceartas), commonly referred to as the Justice Secretary (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a' Cheartais), 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.
Contents
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 £112,919, which is made up of £64,470 for being a MSP, and an additional allowance of £48,449 for the responsibility of being a Cabinet Secretary.