“Jim was the kind of politician that gives politics a good name,” Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said on 30 January, as the Scotland Office led official tributes to Lord Jim Wallace following his passing. The statement was issued alongside condolences from the UK’s top law officer on Scots law. (gov.uk)

The Church of Scotland confirmed Wallace died on Thursday 29 January 2026 following complications after a procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He was 71. (churchofscotland.org.uk)

Alexander praised a life marked by “decency” and “duty”, saying Wallace helped shape the early years of Scotland’s devolved Parliament and brought an “unwavering commitment to service” across roles in politics and the church. (gov.uk)

Advocate General Catherine Smith KC called Wallace’s record one of “lifelong public service”, noting his vital part in delivering and securing the devolution settlement. Only in December, she welcomed him back to Dover House to share reflections on Scotland’s journey since 1999-an event civil servants “hugely valued.” (gov.uk)

A lawyer by training, Wallace led the Scottish Liberal Democrats through the 1997 devolution vote and became Scotland’s first Deputy First Minister in 1999. He served as acting First Minister during 2000 and 2001, later entering the House of Lords in 2007 as Lord Wallace of Tankerness. (pressandjournal.co.uk)

In the Northern Isles he represented for nearly two decades, tributes spoke of “a huge gap in public life,” as Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael reflected on a colleague and friend. (shetnews.co.uk)

Wallace’s public service stretched well beyond party lines: he served as Advocate General for Scotland from 2010 to 2015 and, as a lay elder, was Moderator of the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly in 2021–22-roles colleagues say he handled with quiet steadiness. (gbnews.com)

For readers across the North, the story lands close to home: a measured approach to devolved government, respect for institutions, and politics done close to communities. That is the legacy many pointed to in their tributes today. (gov.uk)