It is with great sadness that we record the news of the death of Lord Rodger of Earlsferry after a short illness. Alan Rodger was a great friend to the law school in his years at the bar, as Lord Advocate, then as Lord President before his elevation to the House of Lords. He was a Law Lord and member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, becoming one of the first Justices of the UK Supreme Court in 2009. He was awarded an honorary LLD here in 1999.
Until his diagnosis of a brain tumour in the spring it had been his intention to contribute once again to our Summer School, giving his annual lecture on his work on the bench. He always did so with such insight and honest personal reflection on the comparisons between our judicial system and that of the USA of which he had learnt so much in travels as Lord Advocate, Lord President and Law Lord. It gave him great pleasure to lecture in Aberdeen, and to engage more closely with his audience in questions and social time afterwards.
Many tributes are emerging from other quarters, showing how gracious he was in sharing his time amongst professional and academic colleagues. Alan Rodger carried his incisive intellect and breadth of learning in a quiet, modest and generous manner, and he was a true gentleman, with whom it has been our privilege to work.
The following tribute has been offered by Jonathan Daube, son of the late Prof David Daube.
