Dame Elish

Office then Glasgow for a couple of meetings. One on using technology to access data; the other the Glasgow Area Support team gathering looking ahead.

Then back through George Square to attend the Kilbrandon lecture. The year delivered by Dame Elish Angiolini. Elish was the first female Solicitor General for Scotland; the first female Lord Advocate, the first Lord Advocate to continue though a change in the political make up of a Government.

Elish and I worked almost ngside each other many years back so it was a great pleasure to listen to her reflections on the lessons of 50years of the children’s hearings system - the legislation creating the welfare based system was passed in 1968. The pace of change has been slow but the system has nevertheless been open to change. Elish posed the questin as to whether the creativity which gave rise to the hearings system might need w be applied to the adult criminal justice system, especially for offenders aged 16 and 17.

A question and answer session chaired by Professor Jennifer Davidson - see on left in extra - was followed by a dinner and conversation.

Lots of people to meet and catch up with.