▁jud ici ary ▁from ▁a ▁provision ▁contained ▁in ▁the ▁bill ▁that ▁became ▁the ▁Scotland ▁Act ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁he ▁pres ided ▁over ▁the ▁first ▁trial ▁held ▁after ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁Sur j it ▁Singh ▁Ch h ok ar ▁at ▁the ▁Glasgow ▁High ▁Court , ▁although ▁that ▁had ▁only ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁conv iction ▁of ▁assault . ▁Mc Cl us key ▁was ▁Scotland ' s ▁longest - ser ving ▁judge ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁was ▁highly ▁critical ▁that ▁only ▁one ▁person ▁had ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁dock . ▁In ▁July ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁he ▁addressed ▁the ▁Law ▁Society ▁of ▁Scotland ' s ▁ 5 0 th ▁annual ▁conference ▁and ▁suggested ▁that ▁a ▁Royal ▁Commission ▁should ▁look ▁at ▁sent encing ▁of ▁drug ▁off enders . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁editor ▁of ▁But ter worth ' s ▁Scottish ▁C riminal ▁Law ▁and ▁Pract ice ▁series . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁Labour ▁leader ▁John ▁Smith , ▁and ▁played ▁tennis ▁with ▁him . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁trust ee ▁of ▁the ▁John ▁Smith ▁Memorial ▁Trust , ▁and ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁cha ired ▁the ▁trust ee ▁board . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁Gordon ▁Brown ▁announced ▁that ▁Mc Cl us key ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁asked ▁for ▁advice ▁on ▁what ▁changes ▁Labour ▁should ▁make ▁in ▁handling ▁don ations . ▁He ▁also ▁cha ired ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Association ▁of ▁M ental