Ian MacDonald Robertson (30 October 1912 – 21 July 2005) was a Scottish High Court of Justiciary judge who contributed greatly to Scots law. Early life Robertson was born on 30 October 1912 in Edinburgh, the youngest of the six children of Margaret Eva Wilson and James Robertson. His father was 66 when he was born. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School between 1926 and 1931 and had an outstanding school career, being appointed a Senior Prefect in his final year. He was also a notable sportsman, captaining the 1st XV rugby union side, and playing for the 1st XI cricket team. He then attended Balliol College, Oxford, following in the footsteps of his older brother Sir James Robertson. Returning to Scotland he graduated LLB at the University of Edinburgh in 1937, and served his apprenticeship as a Writer to the Signet with Shepherd and Wedderburn, but soon found his preferred field as an advocate. He regarded his life as having been transformed by meeting Anna Glen, daughter of Judge James Fulton Glen, of Tampa, Florida, United States, at her 21st birthday party at the Gleneagles Hotel. They married and had one son and two daughters, sharing 63 years together before she died in 2002. When World War II broke out Robertson joined the 8th Battalion The Royal Scots, serving first as a weapons instructor. He was later commissioned and as captain and intelligence officer for the 44th Lowland Brigade (15th Scottish Division), he distinguished himself in Normandy and NW Europe and the campaign from D-Day to the end of the war, being mentioned in dispatches. He wrote an account of the action, "From Normandy to the Baltic", printed in Germany before he returned to Britain. Career His career as an advocate was soon established. He took silk in 1954, later serving as Sheriff Principal of Ayr and Bute (1961–1966) and then of Perth and Angus (1966). In 1966 he was appointed to the High Court bench. His friend James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern said: "He was a meticulous, courteous and diligent judge and a great believer in the reputation of Scots Law. He was sensitive to any interference by the Executive in the work of the Courts." Notable cases Robertson presided over the 1974 case of Jessie McTavish, a Glasgow nurse accused of the murder of one of her patients and the assault of four others. In