A judge and a leading figure in television production have been awarded honorary degrees.
District Judge Peter Devlin and production executive Andy Holland received the honours from Oxford Brookes University during its September 2026 graduation ceremonies.
Judge Devlin was awarded an honorary doctorate in law.
He grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, studied history at the University of Oxford before qualifying as a solicitor and specialising in family law.
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He was appointed a Deputy District Judge in 2000 and became a full-time District Judge in 2006, serving at Slough County Court before transferring to Oxford Combined Court in 2017.
He retired as a full-time judge earlier this year but continues to work part-time and remains active in mentoring law students and deputy judges.
Dr Charlotte Houghteling, senior lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes, said: “It is a great honour to recognise the incredibly valuable contribution that District Judge Peter Devlin has made, and continues to make, to Oxford Brookes Law School.
“Over the past few years, Peter has been a shining light for Oxford Brookes Law students - as a champion of our CLOCK programme at the Oxford Combined Court Centre, offering regular marshalling and shadowing opportunities to students, connecting the law school to legal professionals across the county for our barrister mentoring programme, and even presiding over the first year Contract Law module Mock Trial!
"He is an inspiration, a sounding board, and a kind and generous listener and advisor to staff and students alike.
“We are so grateful that, in his retirement, he has decided to volunteer at Oxford Brookes Law School. He is the consummate community champion and extremely deserving of this honorary degree."
Andy Holland, global chief production officer at Omnicom Media Group, also received an honorary doctorate in the arts/
With more than 30 years of experience in television and brand storytelling, Mr Holland has worked on award-winning documentaries, entertainment formats, and global cultural projects.
Alexandra Shakespeare, programme lead in publishing at Oxford Brookes, said: “We are delighted that Andy Holland, Global Chief Production Officer at Drum Studios, is being awarded an Honorary Doctorate at Oxford Brookes.
"His contribution to the university to date has been significant and impactful. This includes the hosting of exclusive pre-premier screenings of Drum documentaries on campus for the Cora Research Network, followed by guest talks with the studio's Emmy-winning production team for all Brookes students and staff.
“Andy is also an active member of Brookes' Oxford International Centre for Publishing and Journalism (OICPJ), and for 2026/27 chairs its Journalism Advisory Board, offering industry insights and expertise gained from over 30 years successfully working in the media.
"Most recently this partnership with OICPJ resulted in the development of a new module, Documentary Investigations, on our MA Journalism from 2027.
"Students will benefit directly from mentorship opportunities with Andy, which perfectly demonstrates his commitment to the wider University aims of bringing industry closer to education.”
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