Elish Angiolini moves on

The Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, announced on 1 October 2010 that she would stand down from her post after the next Scottish Parliament elections, which will be held in May 2011.

Ms Angiolini's career as the first woman and solicitor to be, first, Solicitor General for Scotland and then Lord Advocate, has been tracked here, here and here in Scots Law News.  It is one of the most remarkable careers in modern Scots law – and it doesn't seem likely that it is over yet.  A career prosecutor who reached the very top of that particular tree and who has only just turned 50 will surely have further plans.

We can also enjoyably speculate about who her successor will be.  Will any change in the political colour of the next Scottish administration have an impact on the appointment, or will there be a promotion from within the Crown Office?  It will be recalled that Ms Angiolini was appointed to high office under the pre-2007 Lab-Lib Dem coalition but continued on in office as Lord Advocate when the SNP took power – a departure from past convention.  Our money is on an internal promotion, but we are notorious for our inability to foresee the future.