Kent Law School rounded off its 50th anniversary year on Wednesday with a graduation ceremony for more than 350 law students at Canterbury Cathedral.
Graduands gathered in the cloisters at Canterbury Cathedral before processing into the beautiful vaulted nave for a morning Congregations Ceremony. Families, friends and staff watched as more than 340 undergraduate law students were conferred their degrees by University Chancellor Gavin Esler. In addition to undergraduate law students, 11 postgraduate taught law students were conferred their Master of Laws degree and eight postgraduate research students were conferred a Doctor of Philosophy degree. (A further ceremony for postgraduate students will be held in November).
At the conclusion of the Ceremony, Head of School Professor Toni Williams announced the list of 2019 prize winners (copied in full, below).
Images from the morning’s Ceremony, captured by the University’s photographer, are available to view on the University of Kent’s Alumni Facebook page.
This year the University also awarded three Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees to:
- Mark Brookes – an advocate and campaigner for the rights of people with learning difficulties
- Professor Antony Anghie – an academic and international law expert
- John Gallagher – a solicitor and specialist in housing law who has worked with the charity Shelter for 25 years.
A full list of recipients of honorary law degrees over the last 50 years is available to view in the honorary graduate archive.
Celebrations continued in the afternoon with a drinks reception for graduates and their families in a marquee on campus, overlooking the Cathedral. (Some images from this event are available to view on Kent Law School’s Facebook page.)
Later that evening, the Law School took the opportunity to welcome back alumni, friends and former staff. Among them was Alan Thomson, who joined (what was then called) the sub-faculty of Law in 1967 and who reflected on the Law School’s history during a short speech to attendees. Other speakers included alumna Marie Cameron, alumnus and academic Professor Nick Grief and alumnus Simon Wesley. (Some images from this event are available to view on Kent Law School’s Facebook page).
The Law School’s 50-year history of critical legal education and research is captured in a special, commemorative book which was given to all our graduating law students. The book includes contributions from past and present staff as well as alumni. In her introduction to the book, Professor Williams notes that much has changed since 1969: ‘The 1969 graduating class numbered 14. It was white, British and all of the graduating students had completed a BA degree in Law…. Most of this year’s graduating class in law are female, half are white, some have been based in Brussels throughout their studies, many have studied outside the UK for some of their degree and the class includes students from about 80 different countries across the world.’
Kent Law School prizes
School prizes
- Head of School’s Prize for outstanding work on critical legal thought: George Hill and Warona Jolomba
- KLS Special Award for best contribution to Kent Law School: Efemena Anthony Ujiri Otobo-Martins
- KLS Special Research Award for contribution to the Decolonising the Curriculum Project: Jasmyn Sargeant, Efemena Anthony Otobo-Martins, Lisa Shoko and Joy Olugboyega
- Master of Eliot College Prize for best contribution to Community Building: Jennifer Wilson, Liana Phillips and Megan Powell
- Scott Moncrieff Essay Prize for best essay on social justice: Seamus Dale
Stage Prizes: Stage 1
- Hart Prize for best performance by a Stage 1 student (winner). Sponsored by Hart Publishing, Oxford: Keelan Williams
- Hallett Prize for best performance by a Stage 1 student (runner up). Sponsored by Hallett Solicitors, Ashford: Vanell Suryaa Benimadhao
- Stantons Prize for best performance by a Certificate in Law student (winner). Sponsored by Stantons Solicitors, Gravesend: Alice Searley and Alaina Iqbal
- Director of Certificate in Law Prize for best performance by a Certificate in Law student (runner up). Sponsored by Karen Devine, Senior Lecturer: Samuel Stonestreet
Stage Prizes: Stage 2
- Whitehead Monckton Prize for best performance by a Stage 2 student (winner). Sponsored by Whitehead Monckton Ltd Solicitors, Maidstone: Abdul-Baasith Mian Javed
- Hallett Prize for best performance by a Stage 2 student (runner up). Sponsored by Hallett Solicitors, Ashford: Daisy Burns
- Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Prize for best performance by an ex Certificate in Law Stage 2 student (winner). Sponsored by Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Solicitors, Gillingham: Katherine Sowa
- Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Prize for best performance by an ex Certificate in Law Stage 2 student (runner up). Sponsored by Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Solicitors, Gillingham: Sanket Rudolf Shome
Finalists
- Thomson Reuters Prize for best performance by a finalist (winner). Sponsored by Thomson Reuters, London: Calum Murray
- Thomson Reuters Prize for best performance by a finalist (runner up). Sponsored by Thomson Reuters, London: Saedeo Yarde
- Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Prize for best performance by an ex Certificate in Law finalist (winner). Sponsored by Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Solicitors, Canterbury: Hayley Goucher
- Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Prize for best performance by an ex Certificate in Law finalist (runner up). Sponsored by Davis, Simmonds & Donaghey Solicitors, Canterbury: Hollie Delahunty
Subject Prizes
- Boys & Maughan Advocacy Prize for best performance in civil litigation. Sponsored by Boys & Maughan: Matthew Thomson
- Clement-Walker Prize for Mediation for most outstanding mediation teams. Sponsored by Janie Clement-Walker, Lecturer: Roxana Cioara and Pam Ogunleye. Madelaine Sanders and Kajal Rowan
- Colley Prize for best performance in the European Law Module (sponsored by Colley Solicitors, Rochester): Emily Collier
- Comparative Law Prize for outstanding achievement in the Comparative Law Module: Calum Murray
- Edinburgh University Press Prize for best performance in the Law, Space and Power Module. Sponsored by Edinburgh University Press: Abdul-Baasith Mian Javed
- Hallett Prize for best performance in the Public Law Module. Sponsored by Hallett Solicitors, Ashford: Jazmin English
- Hallet Prize for best dissertation in any year. Sponsored by Hallett Solicitors, Ashford: George Hill and Nicholas Barrett
- Judge & Priestley Prize for best performance in the Introduction to Obligations Module. Sponsored by Judge & Priestley: Winner – Olasbomi Whitney Onashile. Runner up – Emma Wilkinson
- Canadian Negotiation Prize for best team in the Canadian Negotiation: Peteche Bethell
- KLS Negotiation Prize for most outstanding Negotiation Team: Peteche Bethell and Payam Mozaffari. Charles Serna and Rikke Sletten
- KLS Foundations of Property Prize for best performance in the Foundations of Property Module: Keelan Williams and Oliver Milton
- Sir Terence Etherton Master of the Rolls Prize for best essay on a topic in Equity and Trusts. Sponsored by Sir Terence Etherton: Winner – Isabelle Baluch. Runner up – Aisha Estey
- Norman Cooper Advocacy Prize for best Certificate in Law student in Criminal Law presentation. Sponsored by Jeremy Cooper and Kent Law Society: Tawonga Mhone
- TMLEP Prize for best performance in Law & Medical Ethics Module. Sponsored by TMLEP: Langa-Rose Mpofu
Law Clinic Prizes
- Brachers Access to Justice Prize for outstanding contribution to access to justice by a Kent Law Clinic student (sponsored by Brachers Law, Maidstone): Nadezhda Gitu
- Criminal Justice Project Prize for best contribution to the Kent Law Clinic Criminal Justice Project: Newcomer – Erin McKee. Project Lead – Carolynne Krueger. Commitment to CJPP – Mekke Orie
- Fairweather Prize for outstanding contribution to the Kent Law Clinic by a non-finalist (sponsored by Fairweather Solicitors, Canterbury): Emily Ham
- Oxford University Press Prize for best contribution to Kent Law Clinic by a non-finalist. Sponsored by Oxford University Press, Oxford): Mehin Abdullayeva and Basel Bdair
- Wigoder Award for recognition of an undergraduate law student with outstanding academic potential. Sponsored by The Hon Charles Wigoder: Rennell Bernier-Blackwood
Moot Prizes
- Justin W Yuen Canadian Law Moot Prize for best performance in the Canadian Moot Competition. Sponsored by Justin W Yuen, Criminal Lawyer: Nicole Bolick
- Kent Law Society Prize for best overall mooter. Sponsored by Kent Law Society, Sevenoaks: Mark Nagy-Miticzky
- Weekly Law Reports Prize for best overall Stage 2 & Stage 3 mooters (sponsored by The Incorporated Council of Law Reporting, London): Stage 2 – Rohini Majumdar. Stage 3 – Nicole Andrade
