The senior judge was born in Belfast in 1931 and began his career at The Bar of Northern Ireland in 1954. He became a QC in 1970 and was appointed to the bench in 1979.

He became Lord Chief Justice in Northern Ireland in 1988 until his appointment as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in January 1997. He remained a Law Lord until 2003.

In the obituary, The Times highlights in particular his role in exonerating the UK government at the inquiry into the death of scientist David Kelly in January 2004.

“After a distinguished career that had culminated in his appointment as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 1989 to 1997 and a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1997 to 2004, he had a well-earned reputation for unimpeachable integrity, even if he tended to be conservative in his judgments,” the paper said.