Honorary doctorate for Professor Sir Francis Geoffrey Jacobs

On Friday 13 June 2014 Sir Francis Geoffrey Jacobs, Professor of European Law, will receive an honorary doctorate of the University of Groningen on the occasion of 'University of Groningen 400 years'. Honorary doctorates are presented to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to society, academia or politics.

Professor Sir Francis Jacobs (born 1939) KCMG QC is Professor of European Law at King's College, London and is a former Advocate General at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. He is President of the European Law Institute and of the United Kingdom Association for European Law, and is a Bencher of the Middle Temple.

A most distinguished jurist in the fields of EU Law and European Human Rights Law, he is the author or editor of myriad books and articles in both fields. His academic contributions are characterised by his clear writing style, founded on disciplined research and knowledge of his fields.

Law reform

His judicial work is notable for his contributions to the pressure for law reform: his most persuasive Opinions, cogently argued and challenging the reticent, forced the European Court to address shortcomings and illogicalities in its jurisprudence, and his Opinions shone like a beacon in their clarity and logical foundation.

He wears his learning lightly, seeking to persuade by the force of his arguments. Both as Advocate General and as Professor, he worked tirelessly to stimulate the understanding and appreciation of European law in the United Kingdom and elsewhere; he is a great supporter of younger scholars, and his inspirational and visionary approach has caused many of his former students and staff to take up and carry forward his work. To celebrate his work, twoFestschriften and a special issue of the Fordham International Law Journal were dedicated to him.

As President of the European Law Institute he has guided it successfully through its launch phase and has stimulated the production of its first fruits pressing for law reform, with concrete solutions and recommendations.

Outside the law, he is also President of Missing Children Europe.

Publications

Sir Francis Jacobs is author of several books on European law, including:
The Court of Justice of the European Communities (5th edition by Brown and Kennedy, Sweet & Maxwell 2000)
The European Convention on Human Rights (5th edition by White and Ovey, Oxford University Press 2010)
The Sovereignty of Law: the European Way  (Hamlyn lectures 2006) (Cambridge University Press 2007)
General Editor, The Oxford EC Law Library (Oxford University Press) 1986-2010
Founding Editor, Yearbook of European Law (Oxford University Press)

This article was published by the Faculty of Law.

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