People

Sport bursar’s cycling success

Phillip Pearson, a first year Biological Sciences student and recipient of a University sports bursary, has started the cycling season in good form winning a bronze medal in the British Universities Sporting Association (BUSA) kilo track event and also gaining selection to the BUSA National Road Race team.

Phillip’s performance in the track events is all the more remarkable as this is not his specialist area. He also came 6th in the Pursuit and 6th in the points despite competing against postgraduates.

More recently Phillip has been in France with the Great Britain senior team acting as technical support, which has given him a good insight into the sport at that level and has also allowed him to make some good contacts at the top end of the sport.

Phillip is also currently placed 21st in the British Cycling Series, having finished 9th in the most recent series meet. Having finished a disappointing 16th out of 76 in the 25m BUSA time trials, Phillip will be hoping for a better performance in the BUSA road race to be held during the summer.

International honour for human rights expert

A human rights expert from the University has been elected as a Commissioner of the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).

Professor Sir Nigel Rodley becomes one of 60 eminent lawyers, representing legal systems around the world, to serve as a Commissioner on the non-governmental organisation, which is dedicated to ensuring respect for international human rights standards.

The Commissioners are all individuals known for their experience, knowledge and fundamental commitment to human rights. Professor Rodley, who has worked in the Department of Law since 1990, has been elected for a five-year period.

Professor Rodley said: ‘It is a signal honour to be the first British academic to have been elected to join this distinguished group of legal luminaries working for human rights and the rule of law.

‘It is especially gratifying as I have often worked with the ICJ at the international level and am on the council of its British section, JUSTICE.’ Knighted in 1999 in recognition of his service to human rights and international law, Professor Rodley served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture from 1993 to 2001. Since 2001 he has been a member of the UN Human Rights Committee.

As an ICJ Commissioner, Professor Rodley’s work is likely to include participating in fact-finding missions and representing the ICJ on the international stage.

Previous UK Commissioners have included Lord Scarman, Lord Shawcross, Lord Gardiner and Lord Goodhart.

Also in the printed July edition of Wyvern:

• Love is in the air...at the University
• Appointment of Deputy VC
• Retirements