Editing Neil MacCormick (section)

== Life and academic career ==
MacCormick was born in [[Glasgow]] on 27 May 1941, the son of one of the SNP's founders, [[John MacCormick]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/professor-sir-neil-maccormick-legal-academic-and-politician-1-1033072 |title=Professor Sir Neil MacCormick, Legal academic and politician |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=6 April 2009 |access-date=19 June 2016}}</ref> He was educated at the [[High School of Glasgow]]. He graduated [[MA (Scotland)|MA]] in philosophy and English literature at the [[University of Glasgow]], before benefiting from a [[Snell exhibition|Snell Exhibition]] and taking the BA in jurisprudence at [[Balliol College, Oxford]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7GJAAAAAIBAJ&pg=4426%2C2497348 |title=Glasgow style and Oxford Manners |first=Neil |last=MacCormick |work=[[The Glasgow Herald]] |page=10 |date=15 February 1965 |access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> At Oxford, MacCormick came under the influence of Professor [[H. L. A. Hart]], and developed an interest in legal philosophy. In 1982 he was awarded the research degree of LLD by the [[University of Edinburgh]].

MacCormick was a lecturer in jurisprudence at the School of Law, [[University of Dundee]] (which was attached to University of St Andrews at that time) from 1965 to 1967. Following this, he was a fellow and tutor in jurisprudence, Balliol College, Oxford 1968–1972, and thereafter held the Regius Chair of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations at the [[University of Edinburgh]]. He was also Leverhulme Research Professor at Edinburgh from 1997 to 1999, and from 2004 to 2008. In addition, he held the position of Dean of Law Faculty between 1973 and 1976, and was sometime Provost of the Faculty Group of Law and Social Science, and Vice-Principal for International Affairs.

Professor MacCormick retired from the Regius Chair on 1 February 2008 after completing 36 years as professor (and later senior professor) at the University of Edinburgh. He was accorded with the honour of a series of lectures in his name by the university's [[University of Edinburgh School of Law|School of Law]] and delivered the School of Law's opening Tercentenary Lecture, introduced by former Lord President [[William Cullen, Baron Cullen of Whitekirk|Lord Cullen]], on 18 January 2007. He gave his final lecture as Regius Professor, entitled 'Just Law', on Monday 28 January 2008. He continued thereafter in his role as President of the International Association for [[Philosophy of Law]] and Social Philosophy.

He was president of the [[International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12454642.Law_professor_still_doing_his_job_justice/|title=Law professor still doing his job justice |last=Dorsey|first=Kristy |date=10 December 2007 |work=The Herald |access-date=19 June 2016}}</ref>

MacCormick was a member of the [[Broadcasting Council for Scotland]], of the [[Economic and Social Research Council]], of the Research Council of the [[European University Institute]], and of the [[European Science Foundation]], as well as of various government departmental committees inquiring into matters of public concern.