Lord Rodger of Earlsferry
28 June 2011
It is with great sadness that we convey the news that Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Justice of the Supreme Court, died peacefully in his sleep during the morning of Sunday 26 June, following a short period of illness.
Lord Phillips, President of the Supreme Court, said: "I am deeply distressed to learn of the death of Alan Rodger. For ten years he has been a mainstay of the Law Lords and of the Supreme Court. He was an outstanding jurist and a wonderful companion. His premature death is a tragic loss to the Court and to the nation."
Lord Hope, Deputy President of the Supreme Court, said: "Lord Rodger's premature death has deprived us all of a greatly valued colleague and a much loved friend. It is a desperately sad end to a brilliant career. His contribution to the development of the law was immense. He had so much more still to give, both as a judge and to academic life both in Scotland and at Oxford.
"Our thoughts are with his family and his many close friends, whose lives were enriched by his generous and engaging personality and who meant so much to him too. His legacy is to be found in his judgments, his lectures and his academic writings, which will live on as his memorial for generations to come."
Tributes were paid to Lord Rodger in Court One on Tuesday 28 June by Lord Phillips and Lord Hope, which can be read here. Oral tributes were also given by the Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC; and Gordon Jackson QC.