In addition to the appointment of new King's Counsel last week, the Ministry of Justice also announced the award of nine new Honorary King’s Counsel (KC Honoris Causa) which included Professor Martin Dixon (Queens' College), Professor of the Law of Real Property and Head of the Department of Land Economy. Honorary KC is awarded to those who have contributed significantly to the law of England and Wales outside of the court system.
The Lord Chancellor will preside over the award ceremony at Westminster Hall in March 2025, where she will formally award the Honorary KC to the successful nominees.
Professor David Howarth, Former Head of the Department of Land Economy, said of the appointment:
"We are delighted to report that, on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, His Majesty the King has made Martin an Honorary King's Counsel (KC), a rare honour for an academic lawyer. This is a tremendous honour for Martin personally and also significant national recognition for the study of property law."
The Ministry of Justice citation for Professor Dixon's appointment says:
"Professor Dixon is a legal scholar specialising in real property law. He is the Professor of the Law of Real Property at the University of Cambridge, where he is also Director of the Cambridge Centre for Property Law (CCPL) and a Fellow of Queens' College.
He was nominated for his work on property law through his scholarship, co-authorship of leading practitioner texts, and participation in Law Commission projects. Additionally, for his co-founding of the Modern Studies in Property Law Conference and for his Editorship of The Conveyancer."
The rank of KC honoris causa is conferred by The King on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor to lawyers who have made a 'major contribution to the law of England and Wales outside practice in the courts'. Barristers and solicitors may be appointed as KCs in recognition of their excellence in advocacy. Since the late nineteenth century a small number of honorary KCs have also been appointed each year, often academic lawyers whose work has advanced the understanding of English law and influenced its development.