Chief of clan Macpherson for more than half a century, Sir William was a judge at the English High Court.

He produced the Macpherson Report following the racially motivated killing of Mr Lawrence in 1993. The teenager had been waiting for a bus when he was murdered by a group of white youths, who stabbed him repeatedly.

After they ran away he was able to run about 130 yards before he collapsed and bled to death.

The investigation by the Metropolitan Police was found to have been “marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership”.

As a result of the report, he was professionally and personally denigrated. His findings, however, were upheld.

Known as “Cluny” to his clansfolk, he hardly ever missed an annual gathering at Newtonmore, Inverness-shire, after becoming chief in 1969, our sister publication Scottish Legal News reports.

He is succeeded by his son, Jamie, who is 28th chief of Macpherson.