Seven eminent figures awarded honorary degrees at Encaenia

Seven individuals were honoured for their outstanding contribution to the arts, science and public life at Oxford University's annual Encaenia ceremony, which took place on 21st June 2017. Doctor of Civil Law,  honoris causa Bryan A Stevenson is a lawyer and social justice activist who has campaigned for fair treatment of children and minorities in the US criminal justice system. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal representation to those who may have been denied a fair trial. He has been awarded the Olof Palme Prize for international human rights, the Gruber Justice Prize and the Four Freedoms Award. Shirley Williams, Rt Hon Baroness Williams of Crosb y CH PC, has had a distinguished career in both politics and academia. Elected as a Labour MP in 1964, she held a number of ministerial, shadow cabinet and cabinet roles, serving as Secretary of State for Education and Science in the Callaghan government. In 1981 she was one of the so-called Gang of Four who broke from Labour to form the Social Democratic Party; she went on to lead the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.