SCOTLAND'S most senior law officer is expected to step down within days, it has been reported.
The Sunday Times reported Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC is set to resign, while the Solicitor General, Alison Di Rollo QC, will also leave office.
Mr Wolffe was appointed in 2016 after his predecessor Frank Mulholland stepped down.
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His replacement could have a key role in providing legal advice on any future legislation relating to a second independence referendum.
The Lord Advocate has a dual role of heading the prosecution system and, separately, providing legal advice to ministers.
Opposition politicians have called for these responsibilities to be split.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, said: “The SNP should use this opportunity to separate the role of the Lord Advocate as the independent head of the prosecution system from sitting in the cabinet and being a member of the government. In that way the post will in future be truly independent.”
Mr Wolffe's role has involved him in controversy in recent months, with Alex Salmond calling on him to quit amid the row over the handling of harassment complaints made against the former first minister.
The Sunday Times said possible successors could include Laura Dunlop QC, who carried out a review of the Scottish Government's harassment complaint procedures.
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