King's ADVOCATE, is the principal crown-lawyer in Scotland. His business is to act as a public prosecutor, and to plead in all causes that concern the crown; but particularly in such as are of a criminal nature. The office of king's advocate is not very ancient: It seems to have been established about the beginning of the 16th century. Originally he had no power to prosecute crimes without the concurrence of a private party; but, in the year 1597, he was empowered to prosecute crimes at his own instance.