On Saturday we learned that Derek Ogg QC sadly passed away. Derek was a leading advocate in Scotland, a committed champion over many years of human rights and access to justice for all, particularly for the LGBT+ community. He chaired JUSTICE Scotland from 2016-2017. He is an immense loss to the legal profession and our thoughts are with his friends and family.
Chair of JUSTICE Scotland, Shelagh McCall QC said, “Derek was a tireless campaigner for human rights. From co-founding Scottish Aids Monitor in the 1980s to his recent successful efforts to obtain a pardon and apology for gay and bisexual men convicted of sexual offences, he was not afraid to stand up and be counted. It is a measure of the impact he has had on Scottish society that so many tributes have been paid from so many quarters, including the First Minister. I will miss his friendship, his humour, and his ability always to make me think.”