(87)  The death of Donald Dewar

The First Minister, Donald Dewar, died on 11 October 2000, following a brain haemorrhage.  He was 63, and had returned to work only the previous August following a triple heart-bypass operation in April.  Mr Dewar was an LLB of Glasgow University and a solicitor who had been a partner in the firm of Ross Harper & Murphy.  Jim Wallace took over once more as Acting First Minister. Under s 46 of the Scotland Act 1998 the Scottish Parliament must nominate one of its members for appointment as First Minister within 28 days of the office becoming vacant otherwise than in consequence of a resignation.  The appointment is made by the Queen (s 45). Henry McLeish was elected as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 26 October 2000 and, having received the Royal Warrant from the Queen, was sworn in at the Court of Session the following day. In the ensuing Cabinewt reshuffle, Jim Wallace remained Deputy First Minister and Minister of Jusdtice, while the Law Officers were also unchanged.