University news

The first British woman to be appointed an Advocate General at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg is to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Glasgow.

Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston QC will receive the award in recognition of her contribution to the field of European Community law.

Philosopher and the former President of the British Academy, Baroness Onora O’Neill of Bengarve, will also be awarded an honorary doctorate for her work on philosophy and ethics.

Eleanor Sharpston QC studied economics, languages and law at King’s College, Cambridge, before taking up a teaching and research post at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. She was called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1980 and was a barrister in private practice from 1980-1987 and 1990-2005.

The 55-year-old has also worked as Legal Secretary in the Chambers of Advocate General, subsequently Judge, Sir Gordon Slynn, and held lectureships in law at University College London and the University of Cambridge.

In 2006, she was nominated to be Advocate General at the Court of Justice in Luxembourg and is currently a fellow in law at King’s College Cambridge.

Baroness O’Neill studied philosophy, psychology and physiology at the University of Oxford before completing her doctorate at Harvard University. She returned to the UK in 1977 to work as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Essex and left in 1992 to become Principal of Newham College, Cambridge.

The Northern Irishwoman was made a life peer in 1999 and sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords. She was President of the British Academy from 2006 until last year and now lectures in philosophy at the University of Cambridge.

Graham Caie, Clerk of Senate and Vice Principal of the University of Glasgow, said: “The University of Glasgow is delighted to award Doctor of Laws Honorary Degrees to Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston QC and Baroness Onora O’Neill of Bengarve to recognise and honour the contribution these two distinguished and influential thinkers have made in their own profession and beyond.”

Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston QC and Baroness Onora O’Neill of Bengarve will be awarded their Honorary Degrees at ceremonies in the Bute Hall at the University of Glasgow in June 2010.

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For more information contact Nic White in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 3535 or email n.white@admin.gla.ac.uk

First published: 2 April 2010