Ronald King Murray

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Ronald King Murray PC (born 15 June 1922) was a Scottish Labour politician and judge.

Educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, the University of Edinburgh and Jesus College, Oxford, he served in the REME and SEAC from 1941 to 1946. He was admitted as an advocate in 1953, served as an Advocate Depute from 1964 to 1970 (from 1967 as a Senior Advocate Depute). He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1967.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for Caithness and Sutherland in 1959, Edinburgh North in May 1960, and Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles in 1964 and 1965. He was elected and sat for Edinburgh Leith from 1970 until 1979.

He served as Lord Advocate from March 1974 until May 1979, and was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1974. In 1979 he was appointed to the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary as a Senator of the College of Justice, with the judicial title Lord Murray.

In April 1977 the Young Liberals' annual conference unanimously passed a motion to call on the Liberal leader (David Steel) to move for the impeachment of Murray for allegedly mishandling a murder case. Despite the urgings of the then chairman of the Young Liberals, Peter Hain, Steel did not call the motion but Murray agrees that the Commons still have the right to initiate an impeachment motion.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by:
James Hutchison Hoy
Member of Parliament for Edinburgh Leith
19701979
Succeeded by:
Ron Brown
Legal Offices
Preceded by:
Norman Wylie
Lord Advocate
1974–1979
Succeeded by:
James Mackay