Educated at
George Watson's College, Edinburgh, the
University of Edinburgh and
Jesus College, Oxford, he served in the
REME and SEAC from 1941 to 1946. He was admitted as an
advocate in 1953, served as an Advocate Depute from 1964 to 1970 (from 1967 as a Senior Advocate Depute). He was appointed a
Queen's Counsel in 1967. He was an unsuccessful candidate for
Caithness and Sutherland in 1959,
Edinburgh North in
a May 1960 by-election, and
Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles in 1964 and 1965. He was elected and sat for
Edinburgh Leith from 1970 until 1979. He served as
Lord Advocate from March 1974 until May 1979, and was appointed a
Privy Counsellor in 1974. In 1979 he was appointed to the
Court of Session and
High Court of Justiciary as a
Senator of the College of Justice, with the judicial title Lord Murray. His uncle
David King Murray ==Family==