Former Lord Chief Justice to deliver 20th annual Pilgrim Fathers lecture at Plymouth University

One of the most respected figures in the British legal system will deliver the 20th annual Pilgrim Fathers lecture at Plymouth University.

The Rt Hon Lord Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, will present the lecture – commemorating the Pilgrim Fathers’ voyage to America in 1620 and embodying the themes of freedom and human rights – on Thursday 7 November.

Organised by the Plymouth Law Society and hosted by Plymouth University and Plymouth City Council, the event has become a celebrated annual feature of the legal profession calendar, attracting current and past Lord Chancellors, Lord Justices of Appeal and Lords of Appeal.

Phil Thorneycroft, President of the Plymouth Law Society and a partner at Wolferstans Solicitors, said: “The aim of the annual Pilgrim Fathers Lecture was to attract Judicial speakers of the highest quality and we have certainly achieved that this year. I am delighted that Lord Judge will be delivering the 2013 lecture, and I am sure the subject that he has chosen – “The Art of Advocacy” – will be intriguing and packed with insight.”

Lord Judge was Head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales until his retirement in September 2013. Before that he had served as Lord Justice of Appeal and a Privy Councillor, and from 1998 until 2003 he was Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales.

In 2005, he was appointed the first President of the Queen’s Bench Division, in 2008 becoming Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Head of the Judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. He was created a life peer that same year.

Professor Daniel Gilling, Acting Head of the Plymouth Law School at Plymouth University, said: “Plymouth Law School is delighted to be hosting this event as part of our longstanding partnership with Plymouth Law Society and Plymouth City Council. These lectures provide a valuable opportunity for our students, alumni and local professionals to hear from a high-profile expert in their field. We very much welcome Lord Judge to the University and to the city, and look forward to his lecture.”

The 20th annual Pilgrim Fathers lecture will take place in the University’s Portland Square, on Thursday 7 November. A handful of places are still available, and for more information, visit www.plymouth.ac.uk, email pilgrimfathers@plymouth.ac.uk or call 01752 585800.