Elish Angiolini (b. 1960), was appointed to the post of Solicitor General for Scotland in November 2001. She is the first woman, the first Procurator Fiscal and the first solicitor ever to hold the post.

Elish Angiolini grew up in Govan in Glasgow and studied Law at the University of Strathclyde, graduating in 1982. Immediately after graduation she joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and, following her traineeship, spent 8 years as a Depute Procurator Fiscal in Airdrie, prosecuting in Airdrie Sheriff Court.

She served as Depute Procurator Fiscal at Airdrie for six years before a secondment in 1992 to Crown Office where she worked in the Lord Advocate’s Secretariat. During this time she developed her interest in improving the support offered to vulnerable victims and witnesses, and in particular children. She was then 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.

In 1997 Elish returned to the Crown office as Head of Policy, with responsibility for the development of policy across all functions of the Department. In particular, she helped the department prepare for devolution and was involved in the preparation of the Scotland Act 1998. At the same time, Elish was responsible for the department’s preparations for the introduction of the Human Rights Act 1998.

She was then appointed Regional Procurator Fiscal, Grampian, Highland and Islands on July 27, 2000, based in Aberdeen - the first woman to hold such a post.

She is married with two children.

See also

List of Scottish Executive Ministerial Teams