Oxford Brookes University presented honorary doctorates to two distinguished recipients during its September 2026 graduation ceremonies.
District Judge Peter Devlin received an honorary doctorate in law, while television industry executive Andy Holland was honoured with a doctorate in the arts.
Judge Devlin’s early years were spent in Northern Ireland amid the period of political conflict known as the Troubles.
His academic path led him to study history at the University of Oxford before pursuing legal studies and becoming a solicitor with a specialisation in family law.
His judicial career began in 2000 when he was appointed Deputy District Judge, advancing to a full-time District Judge position six years later.
He served at Slough County Court before moving to Oxford Combined Court in 2017.
Earlier this year, he concluded his full-time judicial service but maintains part-time judicial duties and continues supporting law students and newly appointed deputy judges through mentorship activities.
Dr Charlotte Houghteling, a senior law lecturer at Oxford Brookes, expressed the institution’s recognition of Judge Devlin’s valuable contributions.
She noted his significant role in supporting Oxford Brookes law students in recent years, particularly through championing the CLOCK programme at Oxford Combined Court Centre, providing regular marshalling and observation opportunities for students, establishing connections between the law school and legal practitioners across the county for a barrister mentoring initiative, and presiding over the first-year Contract Law module Mock Trial.
She described him as an inspiration and a supportive advisor to both staff and students.
The university community expressed gratitude that he chose to volunteer at Oxford Brookes Law School following his retirement, considering him a dedicated champion of the institution well deserving of the honorary degree.
Andy Holland serves as global chief production officer at Omnicom Media Group.
With more than three decades working in television and brand storytelling, he has contributed to award-winning documentary productions, entertainment formats, and major international cultural initiatives.
Alexandra Shakespeare, programme lead in publishing at Oxford Brookes, welcomed the recognition of Mr Holland’s achievements.
She noted his meaningful impact on the university thus far, including hosting exclusive pre-premiere screenings of Drum Studios documentary productions on campus for the Cora Research Network, followed by guest presentations with the studio’s Emmy-winning production team accessible to all Brookes students and staff.
Mr Holland maintains active involvement with Oxford Brookes’ Oxford International Centre for Publishing and Journalism, where he serves as an associate member and contributes industry perspectives drawn from his extensive media career spanning over thirty years.
This collaboration recently resulted in a new module called Documentary Investigations being introduced to the MA Journalism programme from 2027.
Students will gain from direct mentorship opportunities with Mr Holland, exemplifying his dedication to connecting professional industry experience with academic education.