Following a substantial benefaction from Sir David Li, the Li family, Robinson College and other anonymous donors, the Faculty of Law is delighted to announce the creation of a Professorship in Public Law in honour of the late Professor Sir David Williams.
In further recognition of the unique contribution made by Sir David to legal scholarship, the Faculty and the University, the Law Faculty Building will be named the David Williams Building.
The Faculty is also delighted to announce that the first holder of the Sir David Williams Professorship of Public Law, with effect from 1 May 2016, will be Professor Christopher Forsyth.
Professor Sir David Williams, QC, LLD, who died in 2009, was successively an undergraduate and Fellow of Emmanuel College, President of Wolfson College, Rouse Ball Professor of English Law, and the University’s first full-time Vice-Chancellor. Sir David's scholarship ranged widely in the fields of civil liberties and administrative law. His work influenced some of the major legal changes of the late 20th century affecting civil liberties, notably the reform of the Official Secrets Act, the adoption of the Freedom of Information Act, and greater regulation of the security services.
Commenting on the gift, Professor Richard Fentiman, Chair of the Faculty, said:
'This is the most significant benefaction to the Faculty in recent times. We are immensely grateful for the generosity of Sir David Li, the Li family, Robinson College and the anonymous donors. This reflects and reinforces our pre-eminent position in the field of public law, and honours a distinguished scholar who gave so much to the Faculty, to the University, and to the protection of civil liberties'.