Macpherson started his law career, when he was
called to the bar in 1952 by the
Inner Temple. He was the presiding judge of the
Northern Circuit between 1984 and 1988. Some of his recommendations included the establishment and improvement of police accountability mechanisms, including setting up the
Independent Police Complaints Commission, and modifications to the law that allowed for retrial provisions when new evidence came to light. The report was considered groundbreaking, setting the agenda for the next two decades of policing.
The Guardian newspaper, writing about the publication of the report, called it, "one of the most significant moments in the history of UK criminal justice". Speaking in 2019, about the investigation and related institutional changes, he downplayed his role and said instead, "There's obviously more to be done, but my feeling is that great steps have been taken in the right direction." Macpherson was appointed honorary fellow at Trinity College, Oxford, in 1991. He was a member of the
Royal Company of Archers, the Queen's ceremonial guard in Scotland. He was the president of the
Highland Society of London and
London Scottish Rugby Football Club. He was the 27th Chief of the Macpherson clan, a position that he inherited upon the death of his father in 1969. == Personal life ==