News

A consultant in the planning and environmental law department at one of Scotland’s leading law firms, Paull & Williamsons, is thought to be the first lawyer to receive a Doctors of Laws (LL.D) degree on merit from the Aberdeen University.

This degree, which was presented to Professor Jeremy Rowan Robinson last week, has only been issued previously by the University on an honorary basis.  Professor Jeremy Rowan Robinson was awarded the LLD in recognition of a significant academic contribution to UK planning law and practice reflected in work published during 20 years of research.
 
Jeremy, an English solicitor who has been with Paull & Williamsons since 1992, is an emeritus Professor of Law at Aberdeen University and has authored and co-authored nine books on planning law and related topics.

He commented on this recognition: “It is the icing on the cake of my academic career.   I am really delighted to receive this acknowledgement of work which I so much enjoyed doing.   I miss doing the research but it has provided an excellent grounding for professional practice”.

On the same day, Carla Towns, who also works in the firm’s planning and environmental department, graduated from Aberdeen University with a Masters of Laws by Research (LL. M).

Carla identified an opportunity back in 2003 to carry out research in Town and Country Planning. She said: “At that time, there was a lot of debate surrounding third parties being able to appeal against various planning decisions. Therefore, I decided to undertake an international comparison with New Zealand, where the right of third party appeal still exists.”

She continued: “I have Professor Jeremy Rowan Robinson to thank for the push in the right direction as he suggested I contact Professor Ken Palmer at the University of Auckland. I flew to New Zealand to meet Professor Palmer, and following this meeting, spent eight months in New Zealand carrying out research including, visiting a gannet colony, interviewing planners and attending a coastal planning conference.

“The research was very interesting and inspiring, particularly because I was studying a different legal system from our own here in the United Kingdom. It also enabled me to add a cultural context to my thesis due to the fact that I was actually living in New Zealand.”

Carla concluded: “My graduation was a truly wonderful experience and Professor Jeremy Rowan Robinson, with whom I share an office, continues to be a great source of inspiration.”