Professor Sir Donald Neil MacCormick (1941-2009) was a renowned legal philosopher, an internationally acknowledged authority on the legal theory of the European Union and a prominent figure in both Scottish and European politics. For 36 years, from 1972, he was professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations at the University of Edinburgh. He held office as Member of the European Parliament for the SNP from 1999-2004 and much of his work during his term in office related to constitutional and legal affairs and to the Convention. His mandate coincided with the re-establishment in 1999 of Scottish Parliament and a lot of his work concerned the proper representation of regions and sub-state nations in Europe, with special regard to the principle of subsidiarity.

MacCormick was born on 27 May 1941 in Glasgow. He was one of four Children of Margaret Miller and John MacCormick, a leading light of Scottish Nationalism and one of the founders of the SNP. In 1963, following his schooling at the High School of Glasgow, he graduated MA with 1st class honours in Philosophy and English from the University of Glasgow. He was to benefit from a Snell Exhibition and went on to continue his studies at Balliol College at the University of Oxford where he graduated with 1st class honours in law in 1965. It was during his time at Oxford that MacCormick developed an interest in legal philosophy having come under the influence of Herbert Hart.

In 1972, at the very young age of 31, MacCormick was appointed to the Regius chair of Public Law and the Law of Nature at Edinburgh, he held this post until his retirement in 2007. He was additionally Leverhulme research Professor at Edinburgh from 1997-1999 and from 2004-2008, and held the position of Dean of the Law Faculty from 1973-1976.

A Scottish Nationalist, MacCormick stood for the UK Parliament in five elections between 1979 and 1997, eventually becoming a member of the European Parliament between 1999 and 2004. During his time in office as MEP Professor MacCormick was a member of the Convention on the Future of Europe from 2002-2003, drafting the proposed Constitutional Treaty for the European Union. On three consecutive years he was voted Scottish Euro MP of the year at the Scottish Politicians of the Year Awards. In 2007 he was appointed as special adviser to the First Minister on European and External Affairs.

Throughout his career MacCormick was in demand as a Visiting Professor and was awarded seven honorary Doctorates and Foreign Membership of the Finnish Academy of Sciences. He was a longstanding member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and in 2004 was recipient of the Society's Royal Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement. In 1999 he was appointed Honorary Queens Counsel (England and Wales) and in 2001 he received his knighthood for services to scholarship in law.

Professor Sir Neil Donald MacCormick died from cancer on 5th April 2009.