Death announced of former Lord Advocate and judge, Lord Murray

Lord Murray, the former Lord Advocate and Senator of the College of Justice, has died at the age of 94, his family has announced.

Ronald King Murray was born on 15 June 1922. He was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, the University of Edinburgh, and Jesus College, Oxford. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1953 and took silk in 1967, serving as an advocate depute from 1964-1970.

After a number of unsuccessful parliamentary contests he was elected Labour MP for Leith from 1970-79, and appointed Lord Advocate in the Wilson and Callaghan Governments from 1974-79.

In 1979 he was appointed to the Court of Session and High Court bench, where he served until 1995.

In retirement Lord Murray was an active supporter of the World Court Project UK, part of a worldwide network directed to obtaining a decision on the legality of using nuclear weapons. In 1996 the organisation won an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice that the use of such weapons and the threat to use them would generally be illegal as contrary to international humanitarian law.

Lord Murray died on 27 September 2016.