Early legal career Upon completing her legal studies, she joined the
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to train as a
Procurator Fiscal (public prosecutor). Whilst a trainee, she survived the
Polmont rail accident; two passengers sitting next to her were killed. Following her training, Angiolini spent eight years as a Depute Procurator Fiscal in
Airdrie, prosecuting in
Airdrie Sheriff Court. In 1992, she was seconded to the
Crown Office where she worked in the
Lord Advocate's Secretariat. During her secondment, she developed an interest in improving the support offered to vulnerable victims and witnesses, and in particular to children. She was then appointed Senior Depute Procurator Fiscal at Glasgow, taking operational responsibility for Sheriff and Jury prosecutions. In 1995, she was promoted to Assistant Procurator Fiscal at Glasgow. In this role she piloted a victim liaison scheme which was subsequently extended across the country.
Lord Advocate Justice Committee, September 2015 Following the resignation of
Lord Boyd, McConnell nominated Angiolini for the post of
Lord Advocate. Her nomination was passed by Parliament on 5 October 2006, with 99 in favour, 0 against and 15 abstentions. She was sworn in at the
Court of Session on 12 October 2006 and one month later she was made a member of the
Privy Council. Following the
2007 election, there was speculation that the new
SNP administration might replace Angiolini. On the morning after the election, Angiolini had cleared her office and was preparing to leave when she received a phone call from
Alex Salmond, the new
First Minister. Angiolini congratulated Salmond on his election, and said that she had packed up her things. "Unpack your things, and come and see me", replied Salmond. Salmond decided that Angiolini should stay in post and would continue not to attend Cabinet except to provide advice or to make representations about her own department, as had been the case with the former administration following the departure of her predecessor. Her reappointment was agreed by Parliament on 24 May 2007. This made her the first Lord Advocate to serve two different governments. Angiolini announced in October 2010 that she would step down from the role of Lord Advocate after the
Scottish Parliament elections in May 2011. Salmond paid tribute to Angiolini, saying "her term as Lord Advocate has been marked by significant improvements and substantial success in the disposal of justice in Scotland". She was succeeded on 19 May 2011 by
Francis Mulholland.
Academic and charity work On leaving the post of Lord Advocate, Angiolini was announced as the first patron of LawWorks Scotland, a charity which helps people who cannot afford legal advice. Angiolini is a member of Terra Firma Chambers, stating particular interests in public administrative law and professional negligence. Angiolini was headhunted by both the
United Nations (to be a prosecutor to the
International Criminal Court) and by the
University of Oxford; in February 2012, it was announced that Angiolini would become Principal of
St Hugh's College, Oxford in September that year, replacing
Andrew Dilnot. In 2014, Angiolini opened the Dickson Poon University of Oxford China Centre alongside
Prince William, after a total of £20 million had been gifted to St Hugh's in a fundraising campaign. Angiolini replaced
Robert Smith, Baron Smith of Kelvin as Chancellor of the
University of the West of Scotland in September 2013 until 2021. She was made a Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 2017.
Later work and Lord Clerk Register , 2024 Angiolini led an "investigation into the disposal of baby ashes at
Mortonhall Crematorium" in 2013, after it was revealed that the remains of babies were being cremated with unrelated adults. She was subsequently asked by the Scottish Government to carry out an investigation into the practices of all crematoria across Scotland. In 2015, her review on how the
Crown Prosecution Service and
Metropolitan Police Service investigate and prosecute rape cases in London was published. Angiolini's report into
deaths in custody in the UK, commissioned by the
Home Office, was published at the end of October 2017. In 2018, she was appointed by the Scottish government to "review the processes for handling complaints against the police and investigating serious incidents and alleged misconduct." Angiolini was appointed as the chair of an independent inquiry into the
murder of Sarah Everard (the
Angiolini Inquiry), and the report from the first phase of the inquiry was released in February 2024. In 2023, she was appointed to the office of
Lord Clerk Register. ==Honours==