John McCluskie CB QC

That the Parliament notes with sadness the recent passing of the East Lothian resident, John McCluskie CB QC, former head of the Scottish legal drafting team at the UK Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, who wrote the laws of Scotland for almost five decades; understands that the Glasgow-born lawyer began his career with the South of Scotland Electricity Board before securing a job in the Lord Advocate’s department in London in 1972; notes that he was admitted to the faculty of advocates and appointed QC in 1990, soon after becoming department head at the relatively young age of 43, and that, as a legislative drafter for governments of various political colours, he introduced and also later repealed the "poll tax" in Scotland and, later, wrote the first Act of the new Scottish Parliament, as well as many others in the following years, including the nation’s "right to roam" laws and the legislation that made Scotland the first part of the UK to ban smoking in bars and restaurants; understands that, after retiring, he continued to act as a consultant to backbench MSPs drafting legislation, with the bill requiring sanitary towels and tampons to be made available free of charge in Scotland being the last he worked on; further understands that his personal interests included walking with his dog, felling trees and poetry and performance, including reciting Burns, while he also played a significant role over many years as a trustee and volunteer at the Leuchie House respite centre in North Berwick, and pays tribute to the significant behind the scenes contribution that John made to devolution and the legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament.