and a lovely man: Nicola after his sudden death at 65
said: “Whilst, by definition, advocates are in competition with one another, our collegiate spirit is such that each and every one of us feels the death of any of our colleagues. That feeling is particularly so when it involves the death of someone so familiar to so many of us, and with such an enormous character as Derek.”
Mr Graham added: “Derek was appointed to the Rank and Dignity of Queen’s Counsel after an unusually short period of 10 years, a reflection of the impact he made in that decade, and the regard in which he was held by the court.”
He later joined the Crown Office as an Advocate Depute in 2007 and was promoted to Assistant Principal Advocate in 2009. He became the inaugural head of the National Sexual Crimes Unit where he oversaw a major revamp and modernisation of the way sexual crimes were prosecuted.
Mr Graham said: “He was a fearless trial advocate, both as a prosecutor and as defence counsel. He also appeared in many landmark cases in the Appeal Court, where his name will eternally appear in reports of those cases.
“But there was far more to Derek than his time in wig and gown. He was one of most well-read individuals one could encounter and was a man full of fun, compassion and ready to assist anyone, colleague or not, in any way he could.
“Glasgow High Court will be an unfortunately quieter place without him and today we think of his family and loved ones, who have lost not just an outstanding colleague and friend, but a much-loved partner, brother and uncle.”
The Faculty of Advocates added they were “deeply saddened” by the death.
Mr Ogg was also a pioneer for gay rights in Scotland, working tirelessly to legalise gay marriage. He also founded Scottish Aids Monitor, the country’s first Aids charity, in the 1980s.
In 2015 he was presented with a lifetime achievement by Ms Sturgeon for his campaigning for equal rights at Scotland’s first LGBTI awards.
The defence lawyer was also a well-known commentator and broadcaster on Scottish legal policy and a regular guest on television and radio.
Police Scotland said: “At around 8.10pm on Friday, the body of a 65-year-old man was discovered by officers within a flat at Rawcliffe Gardens, Langside, Glasgow.
“There would appear to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”