The Honourable Mr Justice Roderick Evans (pictured) was born in Swansea and was raised in Morriston. He was educated at Bishop Gore Grammar School in Swansea and at University College London, where he completed his undergraduate and postgraduate legal education.

He was called to the Bar in 1970 and built up a successful legal practice based at Angel Chambers, Swansea. In 1989 he became a Circuit Judge and there followed a series of appointments until his eventual elevation to the High Court Bench in 2001. He is currently the Senior Presiding Judge for Wales.

While Mr Justice Roderick Evans has engaged at a high level in legal proceedings in England and Wales, he is still very much a Welsh judge. His tenure as Senior Presiding Judge for Wales has coincided with perhaps the most significant period in the constitutional history of Wales, especially following the passage of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Professor Iwan Davies, Head of the School of Law at Swansea University, said:  "The fact that he is a Presiding Judge for Wales is highly significant because prior to April of this year, Wales did not exist as an administrative unit of its own in terms of the administration of justice but was tied to Cheshire.  The role of the Judge in ensuring the smooth transition of the court service within Wales has been pivotal to promoting this process.

"Mr Justice Roderick Evans has been concerned to ensure that all of Wales has adequate courtroom accommodation, especially North Wales, so as to ensure that justice can be dispensed locally."

Mr Justice Roderick Evans has pioneered the phenomenon of Legal Wales to encourage Welsh lawyers to make the most of the economic opportunities offered by the international legal market. He has also suggested that the legal profession in Wales may need to be re-organised to ensure that full advantage of international opportunities is taken.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Justice Roderick Evans said: "It is a great honour to receive an Honorary Fellowship from the University of my home town and from a School of Law that is growing so rapidly and contributing so greatly to the legal and constitutional landscape of Wales."

Swansea University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard B Davies, said: "Mr Justice Roderick Evans has been a great supporter of the School of Law here in Swansea, and inspired the establishment within the School of the first Master of Law degree in drafting legislation to meet the needs of the Senedd and Welsh Assembly Government.

"We are, therefore, delighted to award him an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of all that he has done to promote the legal system in Wales."

For further details of Swansea University's 2007 Honorary Fellowship awards, visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk/graduation/.