Lawyer and Nationalist. Born in Glasgow, MacCormick studied law at the University of Glasgow and went on to become a lawyer in the city. A founder of the National Party of Scotland in 1928, who led them into a merger in 1934 which gave rise to the modern Scottish National Party, MacCormick was a remarkable figure in the history of Scottish Nationalism, who became known as "King John". However, he resigned from the party (1942) following controversy over attitudes towards the war.
He was involved in the mysterious affair surrounding the theft of the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey (1950) and its return to Arbroath Abbey. He was also responsible for a constitutional challenge (1953) over Queen Elizabeth being the second, rather than the first, which of course she was in Scotland.
He was elected rector of the University of Glasgow (1950-3). His son Iain served as nationalist Member of Parliament for Argyll (1974), and his second son Neil was Professor of Law and Vice-Principal of the University of Edinburgh, and Member of the European Parliament for the Lothians.
