John McCluskey, Baron McCluskey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord McCluskey
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McCluskey in 2016
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| Senator of the College of Justice | |
| In office 1984–2004 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth |
| Solicitor General for Scotland | |
| In office 1974–1979 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth |
| Preceded by | William Stewart (later Lord Allanbridge) |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Fairbairn |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Herbert McCluskey
12 June 1929 |
| Died | 20 July 2017 (aged 88) |
| Political party | Crossbench (c. 1984–2017) Labour (1974–1984) |
| Spouse |
Ruth Friedland
(m. 1956; died 2014) |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Profession | Lawyer |
John Herbert McCluskey, Baron McCluskey (born June 12, 1929 – died July 20, 2017) was an important Scottish lawyer, judge, and politician. He served as the Solicitor General for Scotland from 1974 to 1979. This role is a top legal advisor to the Scottish government.
Later, he became a judge in Scotland's highest courts, known as a Senator of the College of Justice. He held this position from 1984 to 2004. He was also a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament, from 1976 until he retired in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John McCluskey was born in 1929. He was one of four sons. His father, Francis McCluskey, was also a lawyer. John went to school in Manchester and Edinburgh.
He then studied at the University of Edinburgh. He earned a Master of Arts degree in 1950. In 1952, he received a Bachelor of Laws degree.
After university, he completed his national service in the Royal Air Force. He worked as a pilot officer. In 1955, he became a member of the Faculty of Advocates. This meant he could work as a lawyer in Scotland's highest courts.
Legal and Political Career
McCluskey began his legal career advising the government. In 1962, he was a legal advisor to the Ministry of Power in Scotland. From 1964 to 1971, he worked as an Advocate Depute. This role meant he was a prosecutor for the Crown. In 1967, he was named a Queen's Counsel (QC). This is a special title for experienced lawyers.
In 1973, he became the Sheriff Principal of Dumfries and Galloway. This was a senior judge role in a specific area of Scotland.
Serving as Solicitor General
In March 1974, John McCluskey was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland. This happened when the Labour government came into power. As Solicitor General, he was a chief legal officer for Scotland.
In 1976, he was given a special title: Baron McCluskey. This made him a "life peer," which meant he could sit in the House of Lords for the rest of his life. He was given this title to help guide a new law, the Devolution bill, through the House of Lords. This bill aimed to give Scotland more power to make its own laws.
He stayed as Solicitor General until 1979. After the Conservative Party won the election, he returned to working as a private lawyer. He also continued to speak for the Labour Party on Scottish legal matters until 1984.
Becoming a Judge
In December 1984, McCluskey was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice. This made him a judge in Scotland's highest courts, the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary. Because he was already a Baron, he used his noble title while serving as a judge.
In 1986, he gave the BBC's famous Reith Lectures. He was the first judge to do so while still working. His lectures were about law, justice, and democracy. He shared his ideas on what judges should and should not do. The University of Dundee gave him an honorary doctorate in 1989.
He also helped protect the independence of judges. This was during the creation of the Scotland Act 1998.
From 1988 to 2005, he was the editor of a series of books on Scottish criminal law. He was good friends with John Smith, who was the leader of the Labour Party. McCluskey also served as a trustee for the John Smith Memorial Trust.
Retirement and Later Work
McCluskey retired from his full-time judge role in 2000. However, he continued to serve as a judge occasionally until 2004.
He also worked on disciplinary appeal panels for the Scottish Football Association (SFA). In 2002, he suggested they look at how they use video evidence in their decisions.
In 2011, the Scottish Government asked him to lead a group of experts. This group looked at the role of the UK Supreme Court in Scottish cases, especially those about human rights. The group made recommendations, suggesting the UK Supreme Court should still have a role but with limited power in Scottish cases.
After the Leveson Inquiry in 2012, McCluskey was asked to chair another expert group. This group looked at how the press (newspapers and media) should be regulated in Scotland. In 2013, the group suggested that there should be laws to support press regulation.
On March 1, 2017, he retired from the House of Lords due to health reasons. That same month, he received a Lifetime Achievement award at the Scottish Legal Awards.
Personal Life
John McCluskey met Ruth Friedland during his national service. They got married in 1956. They adopted two sons and a daughter. His wife, Ruth, passed away in 2014.
John Herbert McCluskey died on July 20, 2017, at the age of 88.
