It was announced in the New Year's Honours List that Professor John Spencer, Professor Emeritus of Law, has been appointed CBE.
The Faculty warmly congratulates Professor Spencer on this great honour, which recognises his many contributions to legal scholarship and law reform, and in particular his role in reforming the law relating to child witnesses in criminal proceedings.
A much-loved lecturer to many generations of Cambridge Law students, Professor Spencer's scholarship on matters of criminal procedure and evidence has had significant impact in practice, particularly – in recent times – his Evidence of Bad Character (the third edition of which was published by Hart in 2016). He is also a leading figure in public debate about law and law reform, advising official bodies, both national and European, and acting as a consultant to the Auld Review of Criminal Courts in 2001.
Professor Spencer graduated in law from Cambridge and in 2007 was awarded the degree of LLD. He is a QC (honoris causa) and an Academic Bencher of the Inner Temple. He also holds a French decoration (Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques) and an Honorary Degree from the University of Poitiers.
In reaction to his recent honour Professor Spencer said "None of the work that I have done would have been possible without the help and intellectual support of a range of colleagues, particularly those in Cambridge. The problems relating to children's evidence were first brought to public attention by my friend and colleague Glanville Williams – with whom I had the privilege to collaborate in the early stages of my work."