A morte de Donald Neil MacCormick

O mestrando Bernardo Soares da ufrj de Direito informa da morte de Neil MacCornick. Tive a possibilidade de ve-lo numa palestra em Glasgow no qual ele falou da Reforma política na Grâ Bretanha - o perigo de sua dissolução.Morreu relativamente jovem para a expectativa de vida de hoje 68 anos.


o Prof. Neil MacCormick faleceu: http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/



In Memoriam
Professor Sir Donald Neil MacCormick
(1941-2009)
It is with enormous sadness and regret that we announce the death of our friend and
colleague Professor Sir Neil MacCormick.

Neil died from cancer on 5th April 2009. His death will bring great sadness to many
in the world of education, law and politics and to his many students, colleagues,
admirers and friends. He possessed a staggering intellect, great wit and a
wonderful, dry sense of humour, but most of all a warmth and spirit that touched all
who knew him.

Neil studied Philosophy at Glasgow and Law at Oxford, anticipating an intellectual
approach always as grounded in practical questions as it was deeply reflective and
provocatively original. He published seminal works on the quality of legal
reasoning, on law's institutional character, on the links between law, politics and
morality, and - closest of all to his political heart - on the relations between
overlapping legal and political orders in an increasingly interconnected world. His
productivity and creativity never waned from his first monograph - the justly
celebrated Legal Reasoning and Legal Theory - published in 1978, to his monumental
Law, State, and Practical Reason, the fourth and final volume of which was published
in December of last year.

Perhaps no other contemporary scholar has influenced so many areas of legal thinking
so deeply over such a long period. That influence flowed through his writings, and
also through his brilliant teaching and public lecturing, his unsparingly generous
advice to the countless scholars and students who sought him out, and his selfless
dedication to the promotion of legal theory as a subject whose global reach should
match its universal significance.

During 36 years as Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations
at Edinburgh he was twice Dean of the Law Faculty, as well as serving as Provost of
the Faculty Group of Law and Social Science 1994-7, and as Vice Principal for
international affairs, 1997-99. In addition to holding these high offices, Neil was
often called upon to bring his wisdom and humanity to bear on difficult issues, both
formally and informally, and always did so cheerfully and unstintingly, and to the
University's great benefit.

His many awards provide some measure of the esteem in which he is held. He was a
longstanding Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and of the British Academy.
He was constantly in demand as a Visiting Professor and was awarded seven honorary
Doctorates and Foreign Membership of the Finnish Academy of Sciences. He was
appointed Honorary Queens Counsel (England and Wales) in 1999, and in 2001 he
received his knighthood for services to scholarship in law.

A Scottish Nationalist born and bred, Neil stood for the UK Parliament in five
elections between 1979 and 1997, eventually becoming a member of the European
Parliament between 1999 and 2004. There he served with distinction, as indicated by
his being voted Scottish Euro MP of the Year for three consecutive years. More
recently, he continued a lifetime of public service as special adviser to the First
Minister on European and External Affairs.

Neil is survived by his wife Flora, three daughters from his previous marriage and
three step children. He leaves behind a wonderful legacy and we will always treasure
his memory.



*MEMORIAL SERVICE*
There will be a memorial service to celebrate Neil's life on Friday 17th April 11am
in Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh.