Procurator fiscal in the context of "Inquest"

In many common law jurisdictions (e.g. England and Wales, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore), an indictable offence is an offence which can only be tried on an indictment after a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is a prima facie case to answer or by a grand jury (in contrast to a summary offence). A similar concept in the United States is known as a felony, which for federal crimes, also requires an indictment. In Scotland, which is a hybrid common law jurisdiction, the procurator fiscal will commence solemn proceedings for serious crimes to be prosecuted on indictment before a jury.

Lady Elish Frances Margaret Angiolini (née McPhilomy; born 24 June 1960) is a Scottish lawyer currently serving as Lord Clerk Register, the first woman to hold the role since its creation in the 13th century. She was appointed Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the British Monarch's representative to the Assembly, in 2025, succeeding Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. Angiolini was a pro-vice chancellor of the University of Oxford from 2017 to 2025, and served as the Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford from 2012 to 2025; she was also a candidate in the 2024 University of Oxford Chancellor election.

She was the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 2006 until 2011, having previously been Solicitor General since 2001. She was the first woman, the first procurator fiscal, and the first solicitor to hold either post. Since leaving office she has led several investigations and inquiries, including a review of deaths in police custody commissioned by the then-Home Secretary Theresa May and the Angiolini Inquiry into the murder of Sarah Everard, which reported in February 2024.

The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of genealogies.

The Lyon Court is a public body, and the fees for grants of arms are paid to His Majesty's Treasury. It is headed by the Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is fully integrated into the Scottish legal system, including having a dedicated prosecutor, known in Scotland as a procurator fiscal.