Alison Di Rollo KC ( née Lafferty) is a Scottish advocate who served as Solicitor General for Scotland from 2016 to 2021.
Di Rollo attended Hutchesons' Grammar School and was the Head Girl in 1978/9. She was also the Vice-Captain of the hockey team. She studied at Glasgow University. [1]
In 1985,Di Rollo completed legal traineeship in private practice at the now defunct law firm of McGrigor Donald based in Glasgow,and joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). [2] She worked in various offices before being appointed deputy head of the High Court Unit in Crown Office,and later Head of Operational Policy. In May 2008,she was seconded from the Crown Office to take up appointment as a trial advocate depute. [3] [4]
Di Rollo successfully convicted Marek Harcar,the murderer of businesswoman Moira Jones in a Glasgow park. [5]
In February 2010,Di Rollo joined the Crown Office National Sexual Crimes Unit,becoming the first deputy head of the unit. She was appointed head of the National Sexual Crimes Unit in January 2013. [2] [6] [7] In 2015,she was appointed senior advocate depute. [8]
Di Rollo was nominated for the post by Scottish First Minister,Nicola Sturgeon on 31 May 2016 as part of the formation of the Second Sturgeon government,following the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. Her nomination was confirmed by the Scottish Parliament on 1 June 2016.
In May 2021,Di Rollo announced her intention to step down as Solicitor General for Scotland. [9]
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution. It has been described as one of the most powerful devolved governments globally,with full legislative control over the economy,education,healthcare,justice and the legal system,rural affairs,housing,the crown estate,the environment,the fire service,equal opportunities,the transportation network,and tax,amongst others.
The law officers are the senior legal advisors to His Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom and devolved governments of Northern Ireland,Scotland and Wales. They are variously referred to as the Attorney General,Solicitor General,Lord Advocate,or Advocate General depending on seniority and geography –though other terms are also in use,such as the Counsel General for Wales. Law officers in these roles are distinguished by being political appointees,while also being bound by the duties of independence,justice and confidentiality among the other typical professional commitments of lawyers. These roles do not have any direct oversight of prosecutions nor do they directly lead or influence criminal investigations. This is a distinguishing factor between law officers and the state attorneys general of the United States or US Attorney General.
His Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown,and the deputy of the Lord Advocate,whose duty is to advise the Scottish Government on Scots Law. They are also responsible for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service which together constitute the Criminal Prosecution Service in Scotland.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is the independent public prosecution service for Scotland,and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by His Majesty's Lord Advocate,who under the Scottish legal system is responsible for prosecution,along with the sheriffdom procurators fiscal. In Scotland,virtually all prosecution of criminal offences is undertaken by the Crown. Private prosecutions are extremely rare.
Colin Boyd,Baron Boyd of Duncansby,is a former Scottish judge who was a Senator of the College of Justice from June 2012 to June 2024. He was Lord Advocate for Scotland from 24 February 2000 until his resignation on 4 October 2006. On 11 April 2006,Downing Street announced that Colin Boyd would take a seat as a crossbench life peer;however,he took the Labour whip after resigning as Lord Advocate. He was formally introduced in the House of Lords on 3 July 2006. On the day SNP leader Alex Salmond was elected First Minister of Scotland,it was reported that Boyd was quitting the Scottish Bar to become a part-time consultant with public law solicitors Dundas &Wilson. He told the Glasgow Herald,"This is a first. I don't think a Lord Advocate has ever done this—left the Bar and become a solicitor."
Lady Elish Frances Angiolini is a Scottish lawyer who is a Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford and has served as the Principal of St Hugh's College,Oxford since 2012;she was a candidate in the 2024 University of Oxford Chancellor election. In June 2023,she was appointed to the office of Lord Clerk Register by King Charles III,the first woman to hold the role since its creation in the 13th century.
John Beckett,Lord Beckett is a Scottish lawyer who was appointed in 2016 as a Senator of the College of Justice,a judge of the Court of Session.
Francis Mulholland,Lord Mulholland,is a Scottish judge who has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2016. He previously served from 2011 to 2016 as Lord Advocate,one of the Great Officers of State of Scotland and the country's chief Law Officer,and as Solicitor General,the junior Law Officer.
Hutchesons' Grammar School is a private,co-educational day school for pupils aged 3–18 in Glasgow,Scotland. It was founded as Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School by George Hutcheson and Thomas Hutcheson in 1641,making it the 19th oldest school in Scotland.
Dorothy Ruth Bain is a Scottish advocate who has served as Lord Advocate since 2021. She is the second woman to hold the office after Lady Elish Angiolini KC. Bain previously served as the Principal Advocate Depute from 2009 to 2011,the first woman to hold the prosecutorial position in Scotland.
Walter James WolffeFSAScotFRIAS is a Scottish advocate who served as Lord Advocate from 2016 to 2021. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2014 to 2016,and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2013 to 2014.
Sarah Poyntell LaBudde Wolffe,Lady Wolffe is an American-born Scottish lawyer and judge who is currently a professor at the University of Strathclyde. She previously served as Senator of the College of Justice from 2014 to 2021. Wolffe was the first US-born member of the Scottish judiciary and the first woman appointed as a Commercial Judge in the Court of Session.
Events from the year 2016 in Scotland.
David William Robert Brand,Lord Brand was a British lawyer and judge. He had a conservative outlook on life,and as a judge he had a reputation for both speedy decisions and severe sentences.
Nicola Sturgeon formed the second Sturgeon government following her Scottish National Party's victory in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. Sturgeon was nominated by a vote of the 5th Scottish Parliament for appointment to the post of first minister on 17 May 2016. She was subsequently appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on 18 May,and announced formation of a new Scottish National Party minority government.
Events from the year 2017 in Scotland.
Events from the year 2018 in Scotland.
John Douglas Fairley,Lord Fairley is a Senator of the College of Justice. He was appointed as a Senator in November 2019.
Nicola Sturgeon formed the third Sturgeon government following her Scottish National Party's victory in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Sturgeon was nominated by a vote of the 6th Scottish Parliament for appointment to the post of First Minister on 18 May 2021 and announced the formation of a new Scottish National Party minority government on 19 May.
Ruth Barbara CharterisKC is a Scottish advocate who has served as Solicitor General for Scotland since 2021. In addition to being the Solicitor General for Scotland,she has been a legally qualified chair of the Scottish Social Services Council since 2017,and has served as Chair of the Fitness to Practice Panel of the SSSC since 2017.