07 July 2026 , 20:11
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Lord Mackay, a former cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, has died aged 99.
The Tory peer, formerly Scotland’s top law officer, has been described as a "hugely respected figure" during tributes at Westminster.
He held the role of lord chancellor under Thatcher and Major for a decade between 1987 and 1997.
He also served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Scotland during a storied legal and political career.
Born James Mackay in Edinburgh in 1927, he was appointed a Queen’s counsel in 1965 and served as dean of Faculty of Advocates, the leader of the Scots bar, from 1976 to 1979.
He was then appointed lord advocate, the senior law officer in Scotland, and was created a life peer for the Conservative Party in 1979, becoming Baron Mackay of Clashfern.
He was also a judge of the Supreme Court of Scotland from 1984 to 1985 and a lord of appeal in ordinary from 1985 to 1987.
He retired from the House of Lords in 2022 aged 95.
A giant in the law
Peers let out an audible sigh as the Lord Speaker informed them of Lord Mackay’s death in the chamber.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean said: "I extend our condolences to the noble and learned lord’s family and friends."
Attorney General Lord Hermer said: "Lord Mackay, across all parties, was a hugely respected figure.
"He was a giant in the law and I’m sure we all join in sending our condolences to his family."
Lord Wolfson of Tredegar also paid tribute, saying: "He was a great Conservative, a great lawyer, a great lord chancellor, and also a man of profound Christian faith, who lived out the words of scripture, ’He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God."
Raised a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Lord Mackay left the church in 1989 due to a dispute over his attendance at Catholic funeral masses.
The row contributed to a split in the church, leading to the creation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches.
Technology & Business Editor