Ian Shearer, Lord Avonside

Who was Ian Shearer, Lord Avonside?

Ian Hamilton Shearer PC was a Scottish lawyer and judge.

Educated at Dunfermline High School, the University of Glasgow and Edinburgh University, he was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1938. He served in the Royal Artillery in World War II. He was standing counsel to Customs and Excise, the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Labour from 1947–49, and to the Inland Revenue from 1949-51. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1952.

He was Sheriff of Renfrew and Argyll from 1960–62, and Lord Advocate from 1962 to 1964. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1962. On leaving office, he was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice in 1964, holding office until 1984. He was also a Member of the Lands Valuation Court from 1964, Chairman of the National Health Service Tribunal, Scotland from 1954–62, a Member of the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals from 1958–62, Chairman of the Scottish Valuation Advisory Council from 1965–68, and a Member of the Scottish Universities Committee of the Privy Council from 1971. He was President of the Stair Society from 1975-87.