John Millar, Lord Craighill
Encyclopedia
John Millar, Lord Craighill (1817 - 1888) was a Scottish lawyer and judge. He served two brief terms as Solicitor General for Scotland
and in 1874 was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
.
Millar was born in 1817, the son of John Hepburn Millar, a Glasgow
merchant. Millar studied at the University of Glasgow
and in 1842 was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
. In 1863, he married Elizabeth Neaves, daughter of Lord Neaves
, a Senator of the College of Justice
and former Solicitor General
.
He served as an Advocate Depute, a Crown prosecutor in the High Court of Justiciary
, from 1858 to 1859 and 1866 to 1867, before being appointed Solicitor General for Scotland
, the country's junior Law Officer
, in 1867 in the Conservative
government of the Earl of Derby
. The prior holder of the office, Edward Gordon
(later Lord Gordon of Drumearn) had been appointed Lord Advocate
, the senior Scottish Law Officer.
Millar only held the office until February 1868, when the Earl of Derby was replaced as Prime Minister
by Benjamin Disraeli. He was appointed Queen's Counsel
(QC) in 1868. He returned to the office of Solicitor General briefly in 1874, again under Edward Gordon as Lord Advocate, before being appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
, a judge of the Court of Session
, the same year. His judicial title was Lord Craighill, the name of his estate in Angus
. He was awarded an honorary degree
of Doctor of Laws by the University of Glasgow
in 1875. He died in Edinburgh on 22 September 1888, at the age of 71.
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
and in 1874 was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
.
Millar was born in 1817, the son of John Hepburn Millar, a Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
merchant. Millar studied at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and in 1842 was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
Faculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
. In 1863, he married Elizabeth Neaves, daughter of Lord Neaves
Charles Neaves
Charles Neaves, Lord Neaves FRSE was a Scottish advocate, judge, theologian and writer. He served as Solicitor General , as a judge of the Court of Session, the supreme court of Scotland , and as Rector of the University of St Andrews .Neaves was known as one of the early analysts of the history...
, a Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
and former Solicitor General
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
.
He served as an Advocate Depute, a Crown prosecutor in the High Court of Justiciary
High Court of Justiciary
The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland.The High Court is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal. As a court of first instance, the High Court sits mainly in Parliament House, or in the former Sheriff Court building, in Edinburgh, but also sits from time...
, from 1858 to 1859 and 1866 to 1867, before being appointed Solicitor General for Scotland
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
, the country's junior Law Officer
Law Officers of the Crown
The Law Officers of the Crown are the chief legal advisers to the Crown, and advise and represent the various governments in the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms. In England and Wales, Northern Ireland and most Commonwealth and colonial governments, the chief law officer of the...
, in 1867 in the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government of the Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
. The prior holder of the office, Edward Gordon
Edward Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn
Edward Strathearn Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn was a Scottish judge and politician.Educated at the University of Glasgow and Edinburgh University he was called to the Scottish bar in 1835. He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland from 1866 to 1867, and Lord Advocate from 1867 to 1868...
(later Lord Gordon of Drumearn) had been appointed Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
, the senior Scottish Law Officer.
Millar only held the office until February 1868, when the Earl of Derby was replaced as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
by Benjamin Disraeli. He was appointed Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(QC) in 1868. He returned to the office of Solicitor General briefly in 1874, again under Edward Gordon as Lord Advocate, before being appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
, a judge of the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
, the same year. His judicial title was Lord Craighill, the name of his estate in Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. He was awarded an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of Laws by the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
in 1875. He died in Edinburgh on 22 September 1888, at the age of 71.