Appreciation: Alistair Hamilton

This tribute was delivered by the President, Cameron Ritchie, at the Law Society of Scotland's annual general meeting on 31 May 2012:

It is with regret that I have to advise this meeting of the death of a former President of the Society – Alistair Hamilton – who died last Friday [25 May 2012].

While there may be only a few of us present who knew Alistair, he was a most engaging and able solicitor.

He was the senior partner at the then McGrigor Donald & Co of 224 Ingram Street, Glasgow, and he served on the Society’s Council from 1970 to 1983.

He was elected President for the year 1977-78, having served as convener of the Law Reform Committee, many of its subcommittees, the Constitution Committee, and as vice convener of the Guarantee Fund.

During his presidency he oversaw the establishment of the Master Policy and led the Society in its evidence to the recently established Royal Commission on Legal Services in Scotland.

He had a genuine interest in the integrity of Scots law, was an expert on most areas of Scots mercantile law, and served as convener of the Society’s Diligence Committee well into the 1990s. He was awarded a CBE for his services to the legal profession.

He was also a regular attendee at the Society’s AGMs up until the end of the last decade. His points of order were always a highlight – sometimes the only one – at an AGM.

He was a devoted husband and father and had a wide range of interests outside work.

He was always the most courteous of solicitors and a true gentleman. On behalf of the Council and this meeting I offer his surviving family our sincere condolences.