Lord Mackay of Clashfern retires from House of Lords

Lord Mackay of Clashfern, the Scots advocate who uniquely became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, has retired from the House of Lords after 43 years as a working peer.

Lord Mackay, who turned 95 years old on 2 July, was made a peer in 1979 when he was appointed Lord Advocate to the incoming Conservative Government. He was appointed to the Court of Session bench in 1984 and then a Lord of Appeal in the House of Lords in 1985, before being named Lord Chancellor in October 1987 in a surprise move following the resignation of Lord Havers. He served in that office until May 1997, and for the last 25 years has remained an active crossbench peer. He was appointed a Knight of the Thistle in 1997.

Even before his elevation he has a distinguished career. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1955, became Queen's Counsel in 1965 and served as Sheriff Principal for Renfrew & Argyll from 1972 to 1974, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1973 to 1976 and Dean of Faculty from 1976 to 1979.

A committed Presbyterian, he said in his final speech in the Lords, "I believe that I have been sustained until now by answers to what we pray for at our opening every day," before sitting down to sustained applause.