Iain Livingstone

Sir Iain Thomas Livingstone, (born 6 October 1966 ) is a Scottish solicitor and retired police officer who served as Chief Constable of Police Scotland. He is currently leading Operation Kenova, a series of historical investigations and reviews in relation to murders and other criminal activity which took place during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

He took over as Officer in Overall Command of Kenova in 2023 after his predecessor, Jon Boutcher QPM, took on the Chief Constable role of the PSNI.

Prior to becoming Chief Constable of Police Scotland, Sir Iain had served as Deputy Chief Constable Designate. He was named as the next Chief Constable on 15 August 2018 and took up office formally on 27 August 2018. He retired from Police Scotland in August 2023.

Early life Livingstone graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1988 with a first class Bachelor of Laws degree. During his time as a student at Aberdeen he played association football as a forward for Raith Rovers and Montrose. He also attended the University of Strathclyde before beginning a career as a solicitor.

Police career

Livingstone joined Lothian and Borders Police in 1992, rising swiftly through the ranks and eventually becoming head of that force's CID branch

Livingstone served in detective and uniform roles in Edinburgh and West Lothian, leading a number of major investigations and operations. As Detective Superintendent, he played a key role in the security operation around the 31st G8 summit in 2005 and headed the murder investigation into the double shooting at the Marmion Bar in Edinburgh.

After completing the Strategic Command Course, he was appointed Assistant Chief Constable for Lothian and Borders Police in April 2009, with responsibility for Crime and Operations. As ACC, he was Gold commander for many significant events including the visit to Edinburgh of Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He then accepted a request to reconsider his decision after several allegations of misconduct were made against Chief Constable Gormley and the latter was placed on special leave; by September 2017 Livingstone was leading the force on an interim basis. When Gormley resigned in February 2018 to contest the allegations, Livingstone became the frontrunner to succeed him formally. The role as Chief Constable from 27 August 2018 carries a four-year term and an annual salary of £216,000.

Honours Livingstone was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 2015 for distinguished service. He was knighted in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to policing and the public.