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Salmond Estate Set for Sequestration as Legal Bills Outstrip Assets

Lawyers say unrecoverable fees from a judicial review victory alongside a 2020 acquittal left the former first minister’s estate effectively insolvent.

Overview

  • Levy & McRae, acting for Moira Salmond, confirmed they will apply next week to appoint a trustee in sequestration to wind up the estate.
  • The firm identified defence costs from two high-profile cases as the primary cause of insolvency, noting criminal defendants in Scotland cannot recover private legal fees.
  • In the 2019 judicial review, the Scottish government was ordered to pay £512,000, which Salmond’s lawyers say covered legal bills rather than providing compensation.
  • A 2020 High Court jury acquitted Salmond on 12 charges and returned a not proven verdict on one, with one charge withdrawn during the trial.
  • The Accountant in Bankruptcy is expected to consider the application within days or weeks, a trustee-led process that typically runs 12 to 18 months, while a separate malfeasance claim against the government remains active.