Law, life and laughter : a personal verdict

Legendary Sheriff Irvine Smith QC is one of the most formidable criminal lawyers of his generation.

Called to the Bar in 1953, he was involved as Counsel in some of Scotland's biggest cases, including the 'Glasgow Bank Raid', known at the time as 'the crime of the century'.

He also defended five capital murder trials before the abolition of the death penalty and knew the full responsibility of trying to keep defendants from the gallows.

He later became a Sheriff, quickly building a reputation as a no-nonsense judge with a sharp intellect and a dry and ready wit.

He presided over the test case in the Ibrox Disaster.

He was also one of the finest after dinner speakers of his generation, especially on the theme of St Andrew and Burns.

This talent took him to many venues across the world.

Irvine Smith's personal recollections are both frank and entertaining, charting the highs and lows of a remarkable life and career lived to the full.