This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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First female Solicitor General
28/11/2001
A new direction in Scotland's fight against crime has
been set with the appointment of Elish Angiolini as
Solicitor General, the First Minister said today.
Mrs Angiolini is the first woman to hold the post, the
first solicitor and non-Advocate, and the first person to
be appointed from a background in the Crown Office and
Procurator Fiscal Service.
She has been Regional Procurator Fiscal in Grampian,
Highlands and Islands since July last year and has never
been a member of the Labour Party. She replaces Neil
Davidson QC who has resigned.
First Minister Jack McConnell told the Parliament:
"Firstly I want to thank Neil Davidson for tendering his
resignation at this time. He is a good friend and has made
a real contribution in the last year and a half. I wish him
well.
"The time is right to have a Solicitor General who is
not associated with a political party. It is time to change
the perception of this job and to focus on modernisation
and reform of the prosecution service.
"I want tackling crime effectively and the public
perception of an important, reliable legal system to be
priorities in the period ahead.
"That's why I am delighted to be able to recommend to
Parliament and the Queen the appointment of a Solicitor
General whose career has been based on the prosecution
service and has a track record of putting victims and
ordinary people first.
"I am delighted that she has accepted the offer of the
post and look forward to working with her and the Lord
Advocate to tackle the challenges that face Scotland."
The Lord Advocate Colin Boyd QC said:
"I am very grateful to Neil Davidson for his
contribution to the Executive as Solicitor General. He made
an important contribution to human rights and devolution
issues and to advising on a wide range of subjects.
"I am delighted to support the First Minister's
recommendation that Elish Angiolini be appointed to the
post of Solicitor General. She is a very able lawyer and I
know she shares my vision for the future of the service. I
look forward to working with her on the modernisation and
reform programme."
The Parliament voted to accept the First Minister's
recommendation that Mrs Angiolini be appointed Solicitor
General. She will be granted the Royal Warrant by the Queen
next week and then sworn in at the Court of Session.
Earlier, the Parliament also voted to approve the
Ministderial appointments made by Mr McConnell. The new
Cabinet will be sworn in tomorrow.
Mrs Angiolini (41) is married with two children and has
spent much of her professional life in the procurator
fiscal service. She served as Depute Procurator Fiscal
based at Airdrie for six years before a secondment to Crown
Office. A further two years were spent in the Management
Services group at Crown Office before she was appointed
Senior Depute Procurator Fiscal at Glasgow taking
operational responsibility for Sheriff and Jury
prosecutions. In 1995 she was appointed Assistant
Procurator Fiscal at Glasgow before she returned to Crown
Office in 1977. She was then appointed Regional Procurator
Fiscal, Grampian, Highland and Islands on July 27, 2000.
She also oversaw the introduction into the prosecution
service of ECHR.
Following a meeting with the First Minister at Bute
House in Edinburgh she said:
"I am deeply honoured to be appointed Solicitor General
for Scotland. I have been privileged to serve as a
prosecutor for 18 years in the Crown Office and Procurator
Fiscal Service and will continue to serve the people of
Scotland in this new capacity."