Nick Barber Admitted as Senior Proctor

Trinity Fellow Nick Barber has been admitted as Senior Proctor of Oxford University. 

In a ceremony held at the Sheldonian Theatre, the University of Oxford's new Proctors and Assessor were admitted. He will hold the role for 12 months, alongside Junior Proctor Dr Grant Tapsell and Assessor Professor Raphael Hauser.

The roles of Proctors and Assessor oversee student matters and uphold the University's statutes and policies throughout its governance and administration. The Proctors’ Office is an impartial and discrete institution within the University which carries out work in support of decision making by the Proctors and the Assessor.

The Proctors and Assessor are senior officers and trustees of the University with a role which encompasses advocacy and scrutiny. They oversee student matters and uphold the University’s statutes and policies throughout its governance and administration. Colleges are on a rota so that, every year, three of them each choose one of their Fellows to serve full-time for 12 months; two colleges choose the Proctors and the third the Assessor.

The office of the Proctor dates from medieval times, with both Proctors holding equal authority and status. (The Senior Proctor is who has held an MA longer). The role of the Assessor was created in 1960, with special concern for policies on student health, welfare and financial issues. 

Professor Nick Barber is Wyatt Rushton Fellow and Tutor in Law at Trinity; he is also Professor of Constitutional Law and Theory in the Faculty of Law, and specialises in public law, in particular constitutional law. He is the author of The United Kingdom Constitution: An Introduction and The Principles of Constitutionalism, both published by Oxford University Press.