Dame Nicola Velfor Davies, DBE (born 13 March 1953) is a British barrister and judge who is currently a Lady Justice of Appeal, to which she was appointed in 2018. At the Bar she practised in medical law. She is referred to as Rt Hon Lady Justice Nicola Davies.

Early life

Davies was born in

Llanelli ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is on the estuary of the River Loughor and is the largest town in the Principal areas of Wales, ...

, Wales, and grew up in Bridgend. Her father, Eric Davies, was a

chartered engineer Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thr ...

who was employed by the Steel Company of Wales, and she has a younger brother called Jonathan. She was educated at Bridgend Girls' Grammar School (now closed), where she was the last head girl. In 1971 she entered

Birmingham University The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

to read law.

Career

After graduating, Davies worked briefly in a firm of solicitors before becoming an investment analyst in the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

. She later decided to become a barrister and did her second six-month pupillage at Carpmael Buildings, which later became 3 Serjeant's Inn. She was

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

in 1976. As a young barrister acting as a junior counsel to the two doctors involved in the Cleveland child abuse cases, she became recognised as a medical specialist. She also became a member of the Treasury Panels. In 1992, at the age of 39, she became a Queen's Counsel, and in 1998 she was appointed to sit as an Assistant Recorder. She chaired two Inquiries. In 1998 Davies spent six months on the Bristol heart surgeon's case, then took on the defence of the doctor and serial killer

Harold Shipman Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 – 13 January 2004), known to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English doctor in general practice and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern ...

. In 2003, Davies was appointed as a deputy High Court judge. On judicial review she quashed a decision to close some National Health Service paediatric surgery units. She was appointed a High Court judge in 2010. In 2013 Davies was appointed as a Presiding Judge of the Wales Circuit between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2017. Davies is an Honorary Fellow of

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

. She was sworn as a member of the

Privy Council of the United Kingdom The Privy Council, formally His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a privy council, formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its members, known as privy counsellors, are mainly senior politicians who are curre ...

in 2018. In July 2021, Davies made legal history, chairing the first all-female Court of Appeal session in Wales, sitting alongside Mrs Justice Jefford and Mrs Justice Steyn. In January 2025, Davies was appointed Chancellor at

Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...

, the first woman to hold the position.

References

External links

The Rt. Hon. Mrs Justice Nicola Davies DBE
Judicial Appointments Commission {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Nicola 1953 births Living people Members of Gray's Inn Queen's Bench Division judges Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Welsh women judges Alumni of the University of Birmingham Welsh King's Counsel 20th-century King's Counsel 21st-century Welsh judges 20th-century Welsh lawyers Lady justices of appeal Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom 20th-century British women lawyers 21st-century British women judges 20th-century English women 21st-century English women 20th-century British women judges 21st-century British women lawyers 20th-century Welsh women lawyers 21st-century Welsh women lawyers 21st-century Welsh lawyers Lawyers awarded damehoods