Death announced of former judge Lord Dervaird

The former Court of Session judge Lord Dervaird, who went on to become a professor of law and an international expert in arbitration, has died, his family announced.

Lord Dervaird (John Murray QC) passed away on 23 December 2015 at the age of 80. Called to the bar in 1962 and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1974, he established a reputation in civil law matters, particularly commercial law and agricultural law, and served as a Scottish Law Commissioner from 1980 to 1988 when he was appointed to the bench. However he resigned less than two years later after admitting to indiscretions in his private life. He was then appointed Professor of Company and Commercial Law at Edinburgh University, and was appointed Emeritus Professor on his retirement in 1998.  From then on he concentrated on arbitration, in which he gained experience as an arbitrator and counsel in numerous international arbitration proceedings.

Among numerous appointments he was a member of the Advisory Board of the International Arbitration Institute, an Honorary Council Member of the Conciliation and Arbitration Centre for Advanced Techniques, President of the Advocates Business Law Group, a trustee of the David Hume Institute, and a member of the City Disputes Panel.