Swansea University has awarded an honorary degree to high profile Welsh judge, The Rt Hon Lady Justice Nicola Davies DBE.
Dame Nicola Davies was presented with the honorary award today (27 July) during the degree ceremony for the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law.
Dame Nicola Davies was born in Llanelli and grew up in Llanelli and Bridgend. She attended Bridgend Girls’ Grammar School and was the first in her family to attend university.
She worked in the City as an investment analyst, before being called to the Bar in 1976. She specialised in medical law encompassing clinical negligence, crime, regulatory work and inquiries and acted in a number of notable cases including Sidaway v Board of Governors of the Bethlem Hospital, the Cleveland Child Abuse Inquiry, and the Bristol Heart Surgeons Inquiry at the General Medical Council. She also represented Dr Harold Shipman at his criminal trial and Professor Sir Roy Meadow at his professional disciplinary proceedings.
Lady Justice Nicola Davies was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992, a Deputy High Court judge in 2003 and a High Court Judge (Queen’s Bench Division) in 2010. Between 2014 and 2017 she was Presiding Judge of the Circuit in Wales.
She was the first Welsh woman to hold all of these appointments, and the first Welsh woman to be appointed as a Lady Justice of Appeal.
On receiving her award, The Rt. Hon Lady Justice Nicola Davies said: “Being Llanelli-born it is a particular honour for me to be recognised by Swansea University in this way. I am delighted that this honorary degree is being given when the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law is led by the highly respected Professor Elwen Evans KC.”