THE fevered row over the Alex Salmond affair risks doing Scotland’s justice system “irreparable harm”, the body representing the country’s top lawyers has warned.

The Faculty of Advocates said it was “increasingly concerned” at recent debate in the media and among MSPs about the Holyrood inquiry into the Salmond affair.

The Faculty said healthy debate was to be encouraged but not disrespect for the “basic tenets” of how the independent justice system operated.

It followed Scotish Tory leader Douglas Ross accusing the Crown Office, Scotland’s prosecution service, of “strong-arming” parliament to protect Nicola Sturgeon.

The First Minister Sturgeon also appeared to question Mr Salmond’s acquittal on sexual assault charges at yesterday’s daily briefing, saying he may have done  things despite being innocent in the eyes of the law.

In his evidence to the Holyrood inquiry, Mr Salmond also heavily criticised the Crown Office, accusing it of withholding evidence that backed up his claim of a high-level plot against him.

He said that under its current leadership it was “unfit for purpose”.

The Crown Office is led by the Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, who also sits in Ms Sturgeon’s cabinet as the Scottish Government’s chief legal adviser.

Mr Salmond said the dual roles made him “manifestly conflicted”.

READ MORE: Alex Salmond inquiry - SNP MSP says plotters should 'get their jotters'

In a statement, the Faculty of Advocates said it was “becoming increasingly concerned at the debate, both in the media and in parliament, in relation to the parliamentary committee into the investigation of harassment allegations.  

“The debate appears increasingly to be focussed on the courts and Crown Office.

“The Faculty wishes to remind all concerned of the importance of maintaining confidence in the judicial system and in the rule of law.

"Maintaining that confidence requires, amongst other things, recognition of the importance of the independent role of the Lord Advocate, the independent role of the courts and, perhaps most importantly, the vital place of the verdicts of impartial juries in criminal proceedings.

“No one in public life is beyond reproach, and healthy public debate surrounding the justice system is to be encouraged. 

“However, when the public discourse fails to respect the basic tenets of the independence of the system, it is in danger of leading to irreparable harm.

"Such harm is something which might be to the detriment of Scotland as a whole in the long term.”

READ MORE: Crown Office ordered to release evidence of Alex Salmond 'conspiracy'

The cross-party Holyrood inquiry is looking at how the Scottish Government bungled a probe into sexual misconduct claims made against Mr Salmond in 2018.

He had the exercise set aside in a judicial review, showing it was “tainted by apparent bias”, a Government flaw that left taxpayers with a £512,000 bill for his costs.

He was later charged with sexual assault but cleared of all counts at a High Court trial last March.

He has claimed the prosecution was driven by people close to Ms Sturgeon, including her husband SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who resented and feared the judicial review outcome, and wanted to remove from public life "even to the extent of having me imprisoned".

The Faculty’s last Dean, Gordon Jackson QC, was Mr Salmond’s lead defence counsel in his trial.

Mr Jackson was forced to resign as Dean after being recorded discussing the case on a train.