[1] John Orr first joined the police as a cadet in 1961 at Renfrew and Bute Constabulary.
As Detective Chief Superintendent of Strathclyde Police, he was appointed Senior Investigating Officer of the Lockerbie disaster which occurred on 21 December 1988.
This was the biggest single murder investigation in the history of Scottish policing.
In 2001, Orr was knighted by the Queen for his services to Scottish policing.
[2] In 2005 Sir John reported on his "Review of Marches and Parades in Scotland" which was to be formalised through the Scottish Parliament to provide a framework for legal protocols of marches and parades within Scotland.