The University of Aberdeen conferred one of its highest academic honours on 1 July, when Dr Graeme Brown was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) by research - a distinction granted only in exceptional circumstances and rarely awarded in the modern era.
While the LLD is widely known as an honorary degree frequently bestowed during law graduation ceremonies - including to figures such as the former Lord President and first Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court the Rt Hon. the Lord Hope of Craighead KT and former Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC - the ancient Scottish universities also retain the power to award the LLD as a higher doctorate. This is governed by Scottish Universities Ordinance No. 1 (1957), which stipulates that the degree may be conferred only for an “original and substantial contribution to the study of the Law.”
Dr Brown’s award is made under this ordinance, recognising his extensive body of research on sentencing law and practice, with particular influence in the field of sentencing sexual offences. External examiners Professor Pamela Ferguson (University of Dundee) and Professor Claire McDiarmid (University of Glasgow) jointly concluded that his work met the demanding threshold required for a higher doctorate.
Dr Brown, an enrolled solicitor and Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice in the School of Law, is only the second person in the modern era to receive an LLD by research from the University of Aberdeen - the last such award being made in 2006. As a higher doctorate, the LLD represents the most prestigious academic qualification the University can bestow.
For Dr Brown, the honour carries personal significance. Although he earned his first doctorate (a PhD) from the University of Edinburgh in 2014 and holds Masters degrees in criminal law and criminal justice from three other universities, he began his legal academic journey at Aberdeen, graduating with an LLB in 1999 and a postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2000, before going on to train as a solicitor with a local firm. The LLD is Dr Brown’s sixth degree.
Dr Brown said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the degree of Doctor of Laws. To have my contribution to the study of sentencing law and practice in Scotland recognised in this way is extremely gratifying. This honour reflects not only my own work but also the encouragement, the challenge, and the support provided by colleagues, students, mentors, friends and family throughout my career. In particular, I would like to thank my previous Head of School, Professor Greg Gordon, for his support in obtaining this degree, and to the late Professor Jacqueline Tombs for all of her guidance through my previous doctoral studies. I am grateful to the University for this recognition. It is a privilege to have my work acknowledged by the institution where my legal education began”.
