Honorary Officers

In accordance with the Charter and Statutes, Aberystwyth University appoints a number of Honorary Officers.

Our current Honorary Officers are:

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Chancellor The Right Honourable Lady Justice Nicola Davies DBE (until 31 December 2029) Dame Nicola Davies was born in Llanelli. Her family moved to Bridgend where she attended Oldcastle School and Bridgend Girls Grammar. She read law at Birmingham University. Dame Nicola was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1976. Her chambers were Serjeants’ Inn Chambers in London, her specialist field being medical law. In 1992 Dame Nicola was appointed Queen’s Counsel, in 2010, a Justice of the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division. Between 2014 and 2017 Dame Nicola was a Presiding Judge of the Circuit in Wales. In 2018 Dame Nicola was appointed to the Court of Appeal. She is the first woman from Wales to hold each of the above appointments. Dame Nicola was one of four co-conveners of the Inns of Court Alliance for Women founded in 2022. Dame Nicola was the Treasurer of Gray’s Inn for 2023. She is the first woman from Wales to be a Treasurer of an Inn of Court in England and Wales
Pro-Chancellor Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens (until 31 December 2025) Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens was educated at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle in Gwynedd and Somerville College Oxford. She has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by the University of Wales and the University of South Wales. She was High Sheriff of Dyfed 2011–12 and now serves as a Deputy Lieutenant for the three counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens is an experienced director who has spent a career in broadcasting, governance and academia. She is a Non-Executive Director of the main Board of the BBC and its Member for Wales. Since April 2019, she is Chair of the BBC’s commercial holdings worldwide. She is also the Electoral Commissioner for Wales. Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens knows and supports the University. She has been a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Professor and Director of External Relations for the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies. She has forged valuable links for the institution as well as supporting a large number of graduates who are now prominent in the cultural life of Wales and beyond.
Pro-Chancellor The Right Honourable Elfyn Llwyd LLB (until 31 July 2024) Born in Betws y Coed in 1951, Elfyn Llwyd MP was raised in Llanrwst and later went to University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Chester Law College. Before being elected, he worked as a solicitor and was called to the bar as a barrister in 1997. Elfyn Llwyd has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, representing Meirionnydd Nant Conwy in the House of Commons from 1992 to 2010 and Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2010. Llwyd is Plaid Cymru's Westminster parliamentary group leader. His main political interests are home affairs, transport and agriculture. He was appointed to the Privy Council on 09 February 2011. A fluent Welsh and English speaker, Elfyn Llwyd is married to Welsh folk singer Eleri Llwyd and they have two children. His hobbies include pigeon breeding, reading, travelling and rugby. Council member between 2015 and 2021.

Details

Photo

Chancellor

The Right Honourable Lady Justice Nicola Davies DBE (until 31 December 2029)

Dame Nicola Davies was born in Llanelli. Her family moved to Bridgend where she attended Oldcastle School and Bridgend Girls Grammar.
She read law at Birmingham University. Dame Nicola was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1976. Her chambers were Serjeants’ Inn Chambers in London, her specialist field being medical law. In 1992 Dame Nicola was appointed Queen’s Counsel, in 2010, a Justice of the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division.
Between 2014 and 2017 Dame Nicola was a Presiding Judge of the Circuit in Wales. In 2018 Dame Nicola was appointed to the Court of Appeal. She is the first woman from Wales to hold each of the above appointments. Dame Nicola was one of four co-conveners of the Inns of Court Alliance for Women founded in 2022.
Dame Nicola was the Treasurer of Gray’s Inn for 2023. She is the first woman from Wales to be a Treasurer of an Inn of Court in England and Wales

Pro-Chancellor

Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens (until 31 December 2025)

Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens was educated at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle in Gwynedd and Somerville College Oxford. She has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by the University of Wales and the University of South Wales. She was High Sheriff of Dyfed 2011–12 and now serves as a Deputy Lieutenant for the three counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.
Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens is an experienced director who has spent a career in broadcasting, governance and academia. She is a Non-Executive Director of the main Board of the BBC and its Member for Wales. Since April 2019, she is Chair of the BBC’s commercial holdings worldwide. She is also the Electoral Commissioner for Wales.
Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens knows and supports the University. She has been a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Professor and Director of External Relations for the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies. She has forged valuable links for the institution as well as supporting a large number of graduates who are now prominent in the cultural life of Wales and beyond.

Pro-Chancellor
The Right Honourable Elfyn Llwyd LLB (until 31 July 2024)

Born in Betws y Coed in 1951, Elfyn Llwyd MP was raised in Llanrwst and later went to University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Chester Law College. Before being elected, he worked as a solicitor and was called to the bar as a barrister in 1997.
Elfyn Llwyd has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, representing Meirionnydd Nant Conwy in the House of Commons from 1992 to 2010 and Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2010. Llwyd is Plaid Cymru's Westminster parliamentary group leader. His main political interests are home affairs, transport and agriculture. He was appointed to the Privy Council on 09 February 2011.
A fluent Welsh and English speaker, Elfyn Llwyd is married to Welsh folk singer Eleri Llwyd and they have two children. His hobbies include pigeon breeding, reading, travelling and rugby.
Council member between 2015 and 2021.