Leading judge honoured with Fellowship

His Honour, Judge Milwyn Jarman QC, Honorary Fellow of Aberystwyth University

His Honour Judge Milwyn Jarman QC has been presented with an Honorary Fellowship of Aberystwyth University.

Born into a farming family at Llanllwchaearn near Newtown, Powys, His Honour Judge Jarman QC attended Newtown High School and Montgomery College of Further Education.

He studied law at Aberystwyth, took a Masters at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, before reading for the Bar exams at Gray's Inn.

He then became a pupil barrister in Chambers at 34 Park Place (later 9 Park Place), Cardiff, from where he would practise for the next 27 years, developing a speciality for business and property, planning and public law cases, and eventually becoming Head of the Chambers. 

He became a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2000 assigned to the Wales and Chester Circuit, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2001.

He was appointed as the Specialist Chancery Judge for Wales in 2007, and sits as a judge of the High Court in the Queen’s Bench Division, Administrative Court and as an Upper Tribunal Judge.

His Honour Judge Milwyn Jarman QC was presented by Gwerfyl Pierce Jones, Pro Chancellor of Aberystwyth University on Thursday 19 July 2018.  The full conferral presentation is available below, in the language in which it was delivered.

Presentation of His Honour Judge Milwyn Jarman QC by Gwerfyl Pierce Jones:

Ganghellor, Is-Ganghellor, a chyfeillion y mae’n bleser o’r mwyaf gennyf gyflwyno’r Anrhydeddus Farnwr, Milwyn Jarman CF, i’w urddo’n Gymrawd ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth.

Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and friends it is a great pleasure for me to introduce His Honour, Judge Milwyn Jarman QC, as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Brodor o Lanllwchaearn ger y Drenewydd yw Milwyn Jarman. Fe’i magwyd ar fferm, yr ieuengaf  o bump o frodyr. Nid oedd modd i’r pump ymarfer crefft hynaf dynol ryw, ac yn achos Milwyn roedd hynny’n fendith gan iddo roi’i fryd erioed ar fod yn fargyfreithiwr. Roedd Aberystwyth yn ddewis amlwg iddo ac yma y daeth ym 1975 i astudio dan rai o fawrion y cyfnod: John Andrews, Hywel Moseley a Dafydd Jenkins (y Gyfraith) ymhlith eraill. Aeth ymlaen i Gaer-grawnt i astudio ar gyfer gradd Meistr ac yna i wneud arholiadau ar gyfer y Bar cyn symud i Gaerdydd fel disgybl fargyfreithiwr o dan adain Winston Roddick CF, Cymrawd o’r Brifysgol hon a chyn Is-Lywydd.

Milwyn Jarman is a native of Llanllwchaearn, near Newtown, the youngest of five sons of farmers. His two eldest brothers farmed with their parents but the remaining three had to find alternative paths. And in Milwyn’s case this enabled him to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a barrister. The Aberystwyth Law Department was for him the obvious choice and he graduated in 1978. He pays tribute to many of his teachers at that time: John Andrews, Hywel Moseley, Dafydd Jenkins, John Trice, as well as some of the younger lecturers at the time: including John Williams, Chris Harding and Richard Ireland who has just retired.

After graduating he read for a Master of Law at Sidney Sussex, Cambridge and then for the bar exams, becoming a member of Gray’s Inn where he has since become a Bencher. He proceeded to Cardiff as a pupil barrister in Chambers in Park Place. His pupil master was Winston Roddick QC, also a Fellow of Aberystwyth University and a former Vice-President.

Milwyn practised from his Chambers in Park Place for the next 27 years, eventually becoming Head of Chambers.  He specialised in business and property, planning and public law cases. He became a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2000 and a QC in 2001. He was appointed to the panel of counsel for the Welsh Assembly Government.  He became a full-time judge as the Specialist Chancery Judge for Wales in 2007; he is also authorised to sit in the Technology and Construction Court, and the Commercial Court, now part of the Business and Property Courts in Wales. He also sits as a judge of the High Court in the Queen’s Bench Division, Administrative Court, also as an Upper Tribunal Judge. He is a Diversity and Community Relations Judge, and a tutor judge for the Judicial College; he is the Welsh Judge Member of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee and an advisory editor of Sweet and Maxwell’s Civil Procedure. He serves on the editorial board of the University of Wales Press Public Law of Wales series. He also chairs the Legal Wales Foundation Board, which organises the annual Legal Wales Conference.

Ar nodyn mwy personol rwyf am ychwanegu i Milwyn Jarman gael ei benodi’n Gwnsler Mygedol Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru pan oeddwn i’n Bennaeth a bu’n hael ei gyngor a’i arweiniad i’r sefydliad hwnnw am nifer o flynyddoedd. Pan ddois i i’w adnabod gyntaf nid oedd yn rhugl yn y Gymraeg er ei fod yn ymddiddori’n fawr yn yr iaith a’i diwylliant. Erbyn heddiw mae ganddo’r hyder i wrando ar achosion trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Ac roedd yn arbennig o falch o’r gwahoddiad i draddodi Darlith Flynyddol Cymdeithas y Cyfreithwyr yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Maldwyn a’r Gororau 2015, ei sir enedigol.

He served as Honorary Counsel to the Welsh Books Council for several years during my time at the helm and it was during this period that he began to learn Welsh in earnest. His commitment was never in doubt and it was really just a matter of confidence. The Books Council is just one of a number of organisations which have benefited from his sound advice and support. He is also a governor of Christ College Brecon.

He once quipped that he opted for law rather than farming as ‘it seemed like less work’ (his words). I suppose that’s a matter of opinion! However, he does find the time to enjoy sport, and is a keen follower of Wales rugby and football teams, and especially Cardiff City FC which hasn’t done too badly in recent months! He enjoys walking and cycling and has a passion for skiing. In April he and a number of his fellow judges cycled from Brecon to Cardiff to raise money for a charity known as PSU which gives help to litigants who cannot afford legal representation.

But the Law is all around him! His partner Nicola is also a judge, and he has three children: Rebecca, Thomas, and David. David graduated in Aberystwyth in Criminology and Psychology.

Nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth nad yw Milwyn Jarman wedi gwireddu ei freuddwyd i gyrraedd yr uchelfannau ym myd y gyfraith.

Ganghellor: Y mae’n bleser ac yn fraint i gyflwyno’r anrhydeddus Farnwr Milwyn Jarman i chi i’w urddo’n Gymrawd ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth.

Chancellor: It is indeed an honour and a pleasure to present to you His Honour, Judge Milwyn Jarman as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Aberystwyth University Honours 2018

Nine individuals are being honoured by Aberystwyth University during the 2018 graduation ceremonies, which take place at the University’s Arts Centre from Tuesday 17 July until Friday 20 July.

Six Honorary Fellowships are being presented to individuals who have, or have had a connection with Aberystwyth or Wales, and who have made an outstanding contribution to their chosen field.

One Honorary Doctorate is being presented; recognising an individual who has been outstandingly successful in their field, or who has a long record of renowned research and publication.

Two Honorary Bachelor degrees are being presented. These are presented to individuals who are members of Aberystwyth University staff without an entry-level degree in recognition of long-service, contribution and dedication to the Institution; and members of the local community who have made a significant contribution to Aberystwyth and the area.

Honorary Fellowships:

Honorary Fellowships are being presented to:

• Professor Ann Sumner - art historian, exhibition curator and museum director
• Bonamy Grimes MBE - web entrepreneur and co-founder of flight price comparison website Skyyscanner
• Euryn Ogwen Williams - broadcaster and seminal figure in Welsh media
• John Dawes OBE - former international rugby union player and coach
• Professor Menna Elfyn - award-winning poet and playwright
• His Honour Judge Milwyn Jarman QC - leading judge.

Author and scholar the late Professor Meic Stephens was presented with an Honorary Fellowship of Aberystwyth University on Thursday 3 May 2018 at a special ceremony in Cardiff. Sadly, Professor Stephens died on Tuesday 3 July 2018.

Honorary Doctorate

• John Thompson - technology entrepreneur and software designer.

Honorary Bachelor Degrees:

• Honorary Bachelor Degrees:Eric Harries - retired Station Manager of Aberystwyth Fire Station, who organised and led 50 humanitarian missions to Eastern Europe to help the innocent victims of war.
• Sue Jones-Davies – actor, singer, town councillor and former Mayor of Aberystwyth.

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