She was the first solicitor to be Scotland's Lord Advocate, the first to serve in cabinets of different political parties and the first woman to become Scotland's most senior law officer. She is Elish Angiolini.
This week Ms Angiolini announced she is to stand down next May after serving a five-year tenure. The decision of Jack McConnell to appoint here provoked outrage in some corners of the Faculty of Advocates because she was female, a Catholic and, worst of all, a solicitor. When the SNP won the 2007 election Alex Salmond decided to retain her because he recognised her talent.
What she brought to the position was not just a superb mind, but a full appreciation of the real world to which the law must be applied. It was her reappraisal of how the law deals with sex crime which will stick in my mind. Her commitment to seeing women being treated equally by the courts and in the judiciary will be a lasting legacy of her role as Lord Advocate.
She will certainly be a hard act to follow.
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8 comments:
Ha ha . Methinks you have tongue firmly in cheek SR. You don't write for The Scotsman do you ?
There seems to be a few blanks in your glowing tribute.
Well done Elish good job! Well done Jack and Alex for recognising talent and not being afraid to put it into action and keep it there
There are a few blanks RM. I had no intention of writing a CV for her. :)
She certainly upset many of the holier than thou bunch Dram. That in itself was an accomplishment.
A single swallow doesn't make a summer.
http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.com/2010/10/elish-labour-angiolini-stands-down.html
Aye I know that CH, and I know George has far more information about the McKie case, but would anyone else have been better?
The biggest act of terrorism in the UK was the Lockerbie Bombing, which many people believe was the work of the CIA. Elish Angiolini appeared to be protecting the CIA.
- Aangirfan
I've read about that on your blog Aangirfan. She wasn't LA then of course and has kept her head down about it as far as I can see.
Would another have done it differently? I don't think so. They're a law unto themselves our justices.
She has improved the lot for rape cases though and no man would have been interested in doing that.
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