Julie Maxton

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Dame Julie Maxton

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE}}

| image =

| image_size =

| smallimage =

| alt =

| caption =

| order =

| office = Executive Director of the Royal Society

| term_start = 2011

| term_end =

| president = {{unbulleted list | Sir Paul Nurse | Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

| Sir Adrian Smith}}

| predecessor = Stephen Cox

| successor =

| order2 =

| office2 = Registrar of the University of Oxford

| term_start2 = 2006

| term_end2 = 2010

| 1blankname2 = {{nowrap|Vice-Chancellor}}

| 1namedata2 = {{unbulleted list | John Hood | Andrew D. Hamilton}}

| predecessor2 = David Holmes

| successor2 = Ewan McKendrick

| order3 =

| office3 = Dean of Law of the University of Auckland

| term_start3 = 2000

| term_end3 = 2005

| 1blankname3 = {{nowrap|Vice-Chancellor}}

| 1namedata3 = John Hood

| predecessor3 =

| successor3 =

| birth_name = Julie Katharine Maxton

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1955|8|31}}

| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = {{Hlist|British|New Zealander}}

| spouse = James Donald Carson, MBE {{font|size=95%|text=({{abbr|d.|died}} 2008)}}

| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|University College London|University of Canterbury|University of Auckland}}

| occupation = Barrister, legal scholar, academic administrator

}}

Dame Julie Katharine Maxton {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE}} (born 31 August 1955) is a British-New Zealand barrister, legal scholar, and academic administrator. Since 2011, she has been executive director of the Royal Society.

She spent most of her career working at the University of Auckland, where she rose to be Dean of its Faculty of Law. From 2006 to 2010, she was Registrar of the University of Oxford.

Early life and education

Maxton was born on 31 August 1955 in Edinburgh, Scotland.{{cite news|title=Weekend birthdays|newspaper=The Guardian|page=55|publisher=Guardian News & Media|date=31 August 2014}} While at school, she played sport at international level, representing Scotland in lacrosse and hockey.

She studied at law at University College London, and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1976. She then trained as a barrister,{{cite web|title=Julie Maxton|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/julie-maxton-10021|website=People|publisher=Royal Society|accessdate=17 November 2015}} and was called to the bar at Middle Temple on 27 July 1978.{{cite web|title=Dr Julie Maxton|url=https://www.middletemple.org.uk/bencher-persons-view?cid=43649|website=Masters of the Bench|publisher=The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple|accessdate=18 November 2015}}

Maxton moved to New Zealand after qualifying as a barrister.{{cite web|last1=Taggart|first1=Mike|title=From Auckland to Oxford: Farewell to our Julie|url=https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/law/about/news/eden-crescent/documents/E5I8Z0-G.PDF|website=Eden Crescent|publisher=University of Auckland|accessdate=18 November 2015|page=2|year=2005}} She undertook postgraduate study in law at the University of Canterbury, and graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in 1981. The same year, she became a naturalised New Zealand citizen.{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/22852:1844 |title=Julie Katharine Maxton in the New Zealand, naturalisations, 1843–1981 |year=2010 |publisher=Ancestry.com Operations |access-date=2 January 2023 |url-access=subscription}}

At the University of Auckland, she also undertook postgraduate research and completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1991. Her doctoral thesis is entitled Contempt of Court.{{cite thesis |last=Maxton |first=Julie |year=1990 |type=Doctoral thesis |title=Contempt of court in New Zealand |publisher=ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland |hdl=2292/3439}}

Career

Maxton began her academic career at the University of Canterbury. There, she taught within the university's School of Law as a lecturer.{{cite web|title=Many firsts for former Dean of Law|url=https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/news-events-and-notices/news/news-2014/03/many-firsts-for-former-dean-of-law.html|publisher=University of Auckland|accessdate=18 November 2015|date=5 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120023729/https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/news-events-and-notices/news/news-2014/03/many-firsts-for-former-dean-of-law.html |archive-date=20 November 2015}} Upon marrying, she moved to a different university, the University of Auckland. This was unusual in that it is uncommon for academics to move between New Zealand law schools.

At the University of Auckland, New Zealand, Maxton's career was both academic and administrative. Joining the university in 1985 as a lecturer, she was promoted to senior lecturer in 1987 and later to associate professor. She spent periods as the Dean of Graduate Studies and was twice the acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

In 1993, she was appointed a Professor of Law.{{cite web|title=Distinguished graduates honoured|url=https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/faculty/about/news-and-events/news/2014/03/03/distinguished-graduates-honoured.html|website=Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences|publisher=University of Auckland|accessdate=18 November 2015|date=3 March 2014}} She was Dean of the Faculty of Law between 2000 and 2005.

During her academic career, Maxton was also a practising barrister. She concentrated on appellate cases.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} On 18 October 2012, she was made a Master of the Bench of Middle Temple.

From 2006 to 2011, Maxton held the position of Registrar of the University of Oxford. In that role, she head of the University of Oxford's administration. She was the first woman to hold the office in the 550 years since the position was first established.{{cite news|last1=MacLeod|first1=Donald|title=Julie Maxton: Marathon woman|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/sep/12/highereducationprofile.highereducation|accessdate=17 November 2015|work=The Guardian|date=12 September 2006}} During the appointment, she was also a Fellow of University College, Oxford. She was succeeded by Ewan McKendrick in January 2011.{{cite web|title=Registrar – Professor Ewan McKendrick, QC (Hon)|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/about/organisation/university-officers|website=University Officers|publisher=University of Oxford|accessdate=18 November 2015|quote=He took up the appointment of Registrar in January 2011, succeeding Dr Julie Maxton}}

In 2011, Maxton was appointed executive director of the Royal Society. The Royal Society is the oldest learned society in continuous existence and serves as the academy of sciences of the UK and the Commonwealth. She is the first woman to be appointed to the position in its 358-year history.{{cite web|title=Royal Society appoints new Executive Director|url=https://royalsociety.org/news/2010/new-executive-director|website=News|publisher=Royal Society|accessdate=17 November 2015|date=9 July 2011}}

Personal life

Maxton was married to Major Jim Carson (1934–2008), the first leader of the New Zealand Army Band and later head of music at Auckland Grammar School.{{cite news|title=Army salutes Mr Music|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/392362/Army-salutes-Mr-Music|accessdate=17 November 2015|work=East And Bays Courier|date=29 April 2008}} Together, they had one son. Carson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1974 Birthday Honours,{{London Gazette |issue=46312 |date=15 June 1974 |page=6830 |supp=3}} and died of cancer in 2008.

Honours

In 2014, Maxton received a Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, the University of Auckland. In 2017, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Canterbury.{{cite web |title=Honorary graduates |url=https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about/governance/university-council/committees/emeritus-professores-honorary-doctorates-and-canterbury-distinguished-professors/Annual_Recipient_List_May-2021.pdf |publisher=University of Canterbury |access-date=3 January 2023 |page=3 |format=PDF |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307185842/https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about/governance/university-council/committees/emeritus-professores-honorary-doctorates-and-canterbury-distinguished-professors/Annual_Recipient_List_May-2021.pdf |url-status=dead }}

In 2018 Maxton received an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick.{{Cite web |title=List of all Honorary Graduates and Chancellor's Medallists |url=https://warwick.ac.uk/services/gov/hongrads/list/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=warwick.ac.uk}}

Maxton was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours, for services to science, law, and education.{{London Gazette|issue=61962|supp=y|page=B9|date=17 June 2017}} She was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours, for services to science and law.{{London Gazette|issue=63918|supp=y|page=N9|date=31 December 2022}}

References

External links

[http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/profile/story/0,,1869934,00.html Profile in the Guardian]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110216201155/http://www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk/2005-06/v18n3/01.shtml Article] from Oxford Today
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100222231553/http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2010/100219_1.html Registrar to step down at end of 2010], Archive.org. Accessed 30 December 2022.

Category:Living people

Category:1955 births

Category:Alumni of University College London

Category:Fellows of University College, Oxford

Category:British legal scholars

Category:University of Canterbury alumni

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:Academic staff of the University of Auckland

Category:Registrars of the University of Oxford

Category:British barristers

Category:Members of the Middle Temple

Category:University of Auckland alumni