SIGNET MAGAZINE - ANGIOLINI INQUIRY

At the end of 2025, our Keeper Lady Elish Angiolini released the First Report of Part 2 of the Angiolini Inquiry on “Prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public”. Calling for a fundamental shift in the focus of activity to prevent such crimes, the report recommends an emphasis on early intervention in targeting and identifying predatory men.

ROBERT PIRRIE WS explores the vital work the landmark Angiolini Inquiry. Five years on from the tragedy that sparked the investigation, Lady Elish remains a vocal advocate for systemic reform in police vetting and culture. Her latest findings serve as a stark reminder that ensuring women’s safety requires a coordinated, 'whole-society' approach and a 'laser focus' on perpetrator behaviour. As a trailblazer in the Scottish legal world, Lady Elish’s work continues to define the profession’s commitment to justice and public safety.

This article was originally published in Signet magazine issue 18 (March 2026).

MEMBERSHIP

If you have moved firms or house recently, or just changed email address, let us know. We don’t want to lose touch!

Email membership@wssociety.co.uk.

AGRICULTURAL LAW CONFERENCE 2026

The WS Society and The Agricultural Law Association are delighted to invite you to our 29th Joint Agricultural Law Conference, returning on Friday 5 June 2026 in the historic surroundings of the Signet Library.

The programme brings together leading legal practitioners, government specialists and policy voices to provide updates on key developments in agricultural law. The conference will be chaired by Heather Bruce, Turcan Connell, and the sit-down lunch will be hosted by this year by The Honourable Lord Duthie, Chair of The Scottish Land Court.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY VISIT

The Signet Library was privileged to share with the National Portrait Gallery the hosting of the Royal Photographic Society’s Historical Group on its Edinburgh visit this month. A special exhibition was put together for the Group, who also enjoyed a tour of the building.

Although the Library has never collected photography for its own sake, much important work was acquired under other headings, and material purchased to be part of an important topographical collection has with the passage of time gained an interest of its own. The Library is especially rich in the work of the great Glaswegians Thomas Annan and his son James Craig Annan, with some unique examples of Thomas Annan’s work recently placed on loan with us through the kindness of member Calum Ross WS.

Also on show were glass negatives from Penicuik House, whose donation was brokered by conservator Jo Hockey, who also built the light box for their display. Amongst these is the only known view of Penicuik House before its destruction by fire in 1899.

The Signet Library was one of the first Edinburgh interiors to be photographed for its own sake, and a range of early examples by George Washington Wilson was on view. The law was represented by examples of trial evidence photography from the collection bequeathed by the great WS crime writer William Roughead with the WS was represented by an album of rare early Francis Frith images of Europe and the Middle East once owned by Alexander Mitchell WS (1833-1902) and some unique landscape works by Elmslie William Dallas, the son-in-law of a WS.

We are grateful to Dr Ella Ravilious of the Victoria and Albert Museum for her permission to show her short film of the 1871 Dossetter photographic copy of the Bayeux Tapestry. Over two hundred feet long and displayed on a pair of rotating wooden stands, Dossetter’s hand-coloured photograph of the tapestry remains one of the largest panoramic images ever taken. Our former copy, acquired at the end of the Second World War, later passed through the ownership of Rolling Stone Charlie Watts before its recent acquisition by the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. It will be a key exhibit at the new museum premises now under construction.

WS ART COLLECTION

Join a guided tour of the building’s art treasures in the company of the inimitable James Hamilton followed by an informal lunch in Colonnades. Sunday, 24 May, 10.30 am to 12 noon for the tour.

Every picture tells a story. Featured on the left is the great historian and Writer to the Signet, James Anderson. Misattributed to John Vanderbank (c. 1694-1739), the portrait was displayed in the Signet Library for almost ten years. It shows Anderson as the proud antiquary, surrounded by the books and ancient documents that consumed his life. There is something odd about the picture’s frame, which was originally considerably larger but has been cut down to fit the portrait. Other than it not being Vanderbank, we do not know the artist, although the picture bears features in common with works coming from the studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller, whose Kit-cat Club portraits also date from this period and who would paint Harley himself in the year of Lockhart’s account.

Read more about James Anderson WS here.

RSVP to membership@wssociety.co.uk.

SIG ROUND UP

art

On Saturday 25 April, the Art SIG met at the Glasgow Art Club for Tour of the Annual Paisley Art Institute (PAI) Exhibition, the Mackintosh designed Gallery and WS SIG ART 'tête à tête' lunch in the Library. The group were joined by Peter Graham ROI, RSW for the tour.

The next Art SIG is on Sunday 24 May at the Signet Library. Please see more details here.

golf

The next WS Beginners Golf SIG six-week session starts on Saturday 2 May, at 10.00 am. The lessons take place at Dalmahoy Golf Club, with Pro Scott Dixon. Clubs can be provided and no special clothing is required.

The price is £150 for the six-week session. WS members can contact membership@wssociety.co.uk, to note interest.

book club

Book Club met on Tuesday 21 April, for discussion on The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante.

The next Book Club will be on Tuesday 2 June, 6.00 - 7.00 pm. 180 years since the publication of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and in the midst of the publicity surrounding Emerald Fennell's film adaptation of the book, starring Margot Robbie, the group (which alternates classic and contemporary works) has chosen the novel as its next for discussion.

To register for the Zoom meeting, click here.

SPRING RECEPTION

It’s not too late to for members to join us at our Spring Reception at the Signet Library on Thursday 30 April. The evening will start at 6 pm but please feel free to drop in any time before 8 pm.

This is a wonderful opportunity to socialise with fellow members, take in the beautiful surroundings of the Lower Library, and enjoy a complimentary drink or two.

Just let us know by RSVP to WS Society Spring Reception or by emailing membership@wssociety.co.uk.

Please note we are unable to extend this invitation to student members at this time.

ANNUAL DINNER 2026

“A lovely evening and a setting of effortless grandeur.”

Booking is now open for the Society’s Annual Dinner on Friday 13 November. Individual tickets are £175 and tables £1,750. Prices are ex VAT. Demand is high so early booking recommended!

We are delighted that our guest speaker will be The Right Honourable Lord Reed, President of the UK Supreme Court.  

For further information, please contact Sarah Leask.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - IAN LAING WS

Every month, Director of Membership and Engagement Sarah Leask quizzes a member of the WS Society for the ‘Spotlight’ feature in the regular Signet Post e-bulletin. Lawyers in employment, corporate, academe, property, immigration, data technology, charity and in retirement all share their enthusiasm and pride in membership.

TRUSTEE OPPORTUNITY — BORDERS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Published on behalf of Robert Marshall WS.

This is to let you know about an amazing opportunity to join the Board of an emerging music festival in Scotland — the Borders Music Festival (a Scottish charity, SC049870, formerly the Melrose Music Festival). In the last couple of years we have positioned the festival as a major platform to promote educational opportunities for young people in the Borders, as well as showcase local as well as national/international talent. 

 We have and continue to develop some fantastic partnerships including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Samling Artists, The Marian Consort, the Borders Brass Association as well as with the Scottish Borders Council (including with their Instrumental Music Service in schools across the region) as well as with local and national musicians and funders.  For our festival in 2025, we were in the Herald’s top 10 music destinations in Scotland for September. See below for some 'at a glance' facts about 2026. We also have the endorsement of Sir James MacMillan.

To support our development, the Board is moving to become separate from the operational arm and, after a public recruitment round and having appointed a new chair - Vince Mason, a chair with a track record of leadership in the art and charity world. We are now seeking to appoint a number of Trustee to strengthen and expand our Board. Please see advert below which closes on 6th April.

If you are interested and would like further information then please email Vince Mason vincentpmason@gmail.com (Chair) or Robert Marshall WS robertmarshall963@gmail.com. 

If you are not interested yourself, then please do pass this on to as many people as you can and who work with those with experience of governance and the arts and who have the significant leadership ability needed.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Every month, Director of Membership and Engagement Sarah Leask quizzes a member of the WS Society for the ‘Spotlight’ feature in the regular Signet Post e-bulletin. Lawyers in employment, corporate, academe, property, immigration, data technology, charity and in retirement all share their enthusiasm and pride in membership.

WEEK IN PICTURES

A snapshot of a week in the Signet Library. Another week of connecting, growing, and leading the way together. Events include the JUSTICE Scotland lecture with keynote speakers Catherine Smith, Advocate General for Scotland, and Sir Ian Forrester, renowned European law practitioner; our Student Networking event; and our Breakfast Networking event.

SIG ROUND UP

The WS Book Club will meet on Tuesday 21 April, 6 - 7 pm, to discuss The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante. Beautifully translated from the original Italian, it is described as “a significant work in contemporary literature.”

Ferrante is perhaps best known for her Neopolitan Novels (beginning with My Brilliant Friend) but The Lost Daughter stands alone and is a good example of the author’s story telling skills.

Register for the Zoom meeting here.

All other SIGs will break for the Easter holidays. Please keep an eye on our SIG page for information on upcoming events.  

USING YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Make the most of your membership! Here’s a reminder:

• “WS” signifies prestige, integrity, and repute — use it in your email footer! You are at the heart of the law in Scotland, linked to the Signet and College of Justice, est. 1532.

• You belong to the best solicitor law library, with helpful, friendly personnel. We subscribe to LexisNexis and Westlaw are available on site or by emailed extracts.

• Use the Signet Library to work between court appearances, meetings, etc. There are desks in the West Library and designated parts of the Lower Library. There is no need to pre-book.

• Borrow non-reference books on request. Document delivery is available by email.

• Join any of the Society’s Special Interest Groups exclusive to members. Many sessions qualify for CPD.

• Make use of your discounted rates for CPD conferences and other events.

• Make sure you receive our monthly e-bulletin Signet Post with details of events and exhibitions — and your copy of Signet magazine.

• Use your 50% discount for private meeting room space and venue hire at the Signet Library.

• Take advantage of your 15% discount at Colonnades.

• Attend our in-person networking events, held at the Signet Library. Check Signet Post for the latest.

• Join our regular networking sessions, including ‘speed networking’ for our student members.

 If you have any questions, email Sarah Leask on sleask@wssociety.co.uk.

SUMMER SCHOLARS 2026

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for our prestigious 2026 Summer Scholar Programme. This initiative serves as a cornerstone of our commitment to fostering the next generation of professionals within the legal sector, providing a structured environment where academic excellence meets high-level commercial application.

Scholars will engage with our diverse membership base, gaining insights into various facets of the profession and build a foundational network that will serve them throughout their careers. We are looking for candidates who demonstrate not only strong academic records but also a sophisticated analytical approach and a collaborative spirit.

The programme is tailored each year to cover contemporary legal issues and will include an assigned, team-based research project, working towards a presentation to external delegates and the production of a report for publication. You will be overseen by Principal Solicitor, Sophie Mills WS and assisted by the Society’s trainee solicitor, Kirsty McEwing.

Interested candidates are invited to review the full eligibility criteria and submission requirements in the advert below.

Applications must be submitted in full by Friday 1 May to be considered for the 2026 cohort. If you have any questions about the programme or application process, please contact Kirsty McEwing.

PORTRAIT INSTALLATION

The founder of the WS Society’s school for orphans, Vans Hathorn WS, has joined novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, pioneering legal lawyer George Dallas WS and philanthropist and connoisseur Sir James Gibson Craig on a very significant wall of the Signet Library this week.

The installation of Vans Hathorn’s vast portrait, placed in our care on loan by the Hathorn family, next to the Grand Stair at the Signet Library, completes a fine sequence of portraits chosen to represent the importance of the Society to charitable life and giving, the arts and the finest ambitions of the law in Scotland itself.

All four portraits stand together against the place where the Signet Library joins with Edinburgh’s ancient Parliament Hall, underneath the foundational yearstone with its famous “1636” inscription. The whole Society sends its thanks and gratitude to the Hathorn family whose gesture in allowing the loan has made this possible.

IN VOGUE

We are incredibly proud to see Lady Elish Angiolini LT KC WS, Keeper of the Signet, featured in the April edition of British Vogue.

The feature’s photography was captured here at the Signet Library. This was a spectacular moment for the library, blending our classic heritage with the height of modern style.

Five years on from Sarah Everard’s murder, the article offers a powerful and moving profile of Lady Elish’s vital work on the Angiolini Inquiry. Lady Elish speaks candidly about her findings on police culture, the urgent need for reform in vetting and recruitment, and her commitment to improving safety and justice for women and girls.

Sophie Mills WS, Principal Solicitor at the Society comments “This is an excellent British Vogue article about immensely important work! It is profoundly inspiring to work alongside Lady Elish Angiolini in her role as Keeper of the Signet. Her career has been defined by 'firsts', but it’s her unwavering sense of self and integrity that sets the gold standard for our profession. Those qualities have allowed her to navigate the highest offices of the law while remaining a beacon of accessibility and progress.”

An accompanying tribute from Sarah Everard’s mother can be read here.

SIGNET MAGAZINE

We are delighted to announce the launch of the 2026 edition of SIGNET Magazine. This year’s volume offers a curated collection of insights, features, and updates from the heart of the WS Society and the Signet Library.

Click on the picture below to start reading.

Hard copies have been dispatched to all members — please check your mailboxes. Visitors to the Signet Library can collect a complimentary copy from the Reception.

JUSTICE SCOTLAND LECTURE

We are delighted to invite you to our upcoming JUSTICE Scotland event, Rights, Justice and the Rule of Law in Scotland, taking place in the historic heart of legal Edinburgh.

This year's JUSTICE Scotland lecture, will be held at the Signet Library on Monday 16 March at 5.30pm.  

This will take the form of a fireside chat between two distinguished speakers, who will be announced shortly. The lecture will be followed by a drinks and networking reception, kindly sponsored by Pinsent Masons.

Attendance is complimentary.

VANS HATHORN WS

The Society is delighted to announce that through the generosity of the Hathorn family it has secured on long term loan a portrait of Vans Hathorn WS, the founding hero of the Society’s orphan school John Watson’s Institution.

The portrait was commissioned in December 1837 to honour Vans Hathorn, the long-serving treasurer of the school and by then well into his 80s, while there was still time. He’d been involved in the affairs of John Watson’s Trust since 1813, and it was his brilliance in the handling of the legacy in trust and his determined fight that it be used to help orphans that had enabled the school’s opening in 1828.

Treasurer of the Society Andrew Storie put the task in the hands of John Watson Gordon (later knighted), who was working at the same time on a separate commission from the Society, the portrait of Lord Hope that now dominates the Grand Stair. By January 1838, Hathorn’s portrait was described as “well underway” and by January 1839 the picture was finished and hanging in the school’s chapel. Hathorn lived to see it there, passing away nine months later.

The Hathorn portrait hanging in the chapel.

The painting remained in the chapel until the final closure of the school in 1975. The vast painting would have been threatened with homelessness had the Hathorn family not stepped in to take it under their care, and the picture was restored and reframed at their expense before being rehung in their London home. They were keen however that the picture would one day return to Edinburgh, and when the Society sent out an appeal in 2025 to learn of the painting’s whereabouts, they got in touch and offered to host a visit from Society researchers. From these first conversations came the offer of the picture coming to the Signet Library which will be its third home in 188 years.

The picture is a powerful visual symbol and representation of the WS Society’s charitable work and involvements, at a time when, with the Society itself now a registered charity, these have never been closer to the heart of its everyday life. The painting will hang alongside the Grand Stair, next to the Raeburn portrait of George Dallas, whose System of Stiles, written during the Carolingian Restoration period, launched three centuries of WS intellectual involvement in Scottish life and law.