Lord Chief Justice Aitchison

Craigie Aitchison is an important figure in Scottish legal history. In 1929, he became the first ever Labour Lord Advocate. 

Aitchison became an advocate in 1907. He was particularly effective as a defence counsel in criminal cases, and was regarded as the best advocate before a jury since Sheriff Comrie Thomson. He was noted for the Bickerstaff and John Donald Merritt cases.

He was made a King's Counsel in 1923. He worked with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and others to secure the release of Oscar Slater, the victim one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice of the early 20th century. Aitchison who was leading Counsel at the appeal in 1929 gave a 14-hour speech.

He was regarded as a "friend of the ordinary working man". The case of Marjory Fenwick leaves open the question of how much a friend he was to the "ordinary working woman".

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