Image: The Universitys Faculty of Law building. The professor is chairing a review group commissioned by the SNP/Labour run Edinburgh City Council looking at how the city remembers its role in historical racial injustice.. He holds honorary doctorates from four universities, including Victoria University of Wellington, and is a global affiliated professor at the College of Law, University of Iowa. Comments on the proposals are now being sought from the general public and it is intended that an . There were many other light-skinned Jamaicans besides his aunt all living reminders of the horrors of the past. Matthew notes that Sir Geoffrey enjoyed simultaneously terrifying and endearing himself to generations of students.. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Sir Geoff takes over from Dr Robert M. Buchan, a mining entrepreneur and philanthropist, who is standing down after almost eight years in the role. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Sir Godfrey Henry Oliver Palmer OBE (/pmr/; born 9 April 1940)[1] is a Professor Emeritus in the School of Life Sciences at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a human rights activist. In 2016 he was made a Master of the Bench of the Middle Temple in London. Born in Jamaica in 1940, Sir Geoff Palmer studied in Scotland from 1964-1968, moved back to Scotland in 1977 and went on to become one of the countrys most well-recognised contemporary scientists. His political activism has led him to work with Edinburgh City Council to review statues, street names and other significant city landmarks to see how they can be used to educate not only students but the general public as well. I am delighted that he has been named as our new Chancellor at a time when we all look forward to welcoming back our students in the new academic year and emerging from the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. He has accepted Honorary Doctorates from a number of Universities including two from Universities in Jamaica. These include a teaching text on international environmental law with an American scholar that is in its fourth edition. saving. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. In Parliament, he held the offices of Attorney-General, Minister of Justice, Leader of the House, Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister. Professor Sir Geoff Palmer Are you sure you want to delete this comment? [33][34][35], In August 2015 Palmer was the guest of interviewer Jim Al-Khalili on the BBC Radio 4 programme The Life Scientific. He found that working with parliamentary colleagues required patience, tact, and empathyand very few people have all three. Image: Sir Geoffrey speaks at the symposium. SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB592950700, and is acknowledged by the UK authorities as a Professor Sir Geoff Palmer is addressing the city's historic links with slavery in a bid to shed light on an often-forgotten chapter of Scotland's past. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. November 11, 2020. Professor Emeritus Sir Geoff Palmer is Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, and a Freeman of Midlothian. He gained further qualifications studying one day a week at a local polytechnic. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial Global Affiliated Professor. In 1968 he began his research work at the Brewing Research Foundation in Surrey, England where he worked on the . Find contact details, maps and directions for: Scottish Borders - undergraduate open days, Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Marketing, Recruitment and Communications, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer named Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University. As part of my career, I am very proud of the success of the brewing students that I had the privilege to teach at Heriot-Watt University. It was because these families had some connection to colonialism, he says. Professor Sir Geoff Palmers term will last for an initial five-years. [14] He moved back to Heriot-Watt University in 1977. He is a member of the Her Majesty's Privy Council, was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1991 and was made an honorary companion to the Order of Australia the same year. Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over 25. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. He has appeared extensively in the superior courts including the Privy Council. Link Share. Once the public knows this stuff, they get it. My interest in Scottish-Caribbean historical connections led me to find a letter written by Sir William Gibson-Craig, the MP for Midlothian in 1838, to his father who owned the Riccarton Estate on which Heriot-Watt University was built. Id look in the newspaper for somewhere to rent. ITS as if fate has been waiting 200 years for Geoff Palmer to come along and finally force Scotland to confront the most shameful aspects of its past. David Caygill, Sir Geoffrey knew what he wanted to achieve and knew how to bring about change. He had many successes, always aided by the intellectual contribution and support of his wife, Margaret. [5], Palmer specialises in grain science and has extensive expertise with barley, sorghum, other cereals and malt, having written a textbook on the subject entitled Cereal Science and Technology. During his tenure, he persuaded the Government to engage in a programme of reviewing the old Law Commission reports, which resulted in a number of new enactments. After working as a solicitor for a Wellington law firm, he took up a British Commonwealth Fellowship to the University of Chicago where he graduated Doctor of Law cum laude in 1967. Palmer says genealogical research revealed that his great-grandfather was a Balcarres slave. The dreadful irony is that as Scotland finally begins to listen to him, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer is facing the possibility of his own death as he deals with a diagnosis of prostrate cancer. This ignited a huge debate between dog lovers and dog haters, which he says seemed to have much greater importance to listeners than GST. Born in East Carlton, Northamptonshire, he obtained a BA from Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1616 and a MA 1619. He is the author of a book on race relations: Mr White and the Ravens and a book on Caribbean (Jamaican/Scottish) history: The Enlightenment Abolished. In 1994 he became a Foundation Partner of Chen & Palmer Public Law Specialists where he remained until 2005 when he was appointed President of the Law Commission, a position he occupied until 2010. He is weary of claims that because some Scots were subjected to indentured servitude a system which saw people working unpaid, often for years, as punishment, debt repayment or a form of apprenticeship that this somehow cancels out the sin of chattel slavery. Fortunately not long after he joined parliament, events occured that were tailor-made to his interests. Sir Godfrey Palmer, known as Geoff, was the first black professor in Scotland and discovered the barley abrasion process, subsequently adopted by the UK's biggest breweries. The academic mentors, at schools and universities, that he had while he was studying had a profound impact on his activism and personal philosophies. The racism he experienced during this process felt particularly strange to him as the UK was always discussed as the mother country in Jamaica and was seen as home. The Edinburgh West Indian Students Association was based at Potterrow, near George Square. Read more about Professor Sir Geoff Palmer in this UncoverED blog by Natasha Ruwona. He also pushed for a four-year parliamentary term and an increase to the number of MPs. Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC was admitted as a solicitor in 1965 and to the bar in 1966. In a powerful, no-holds-barred interview, Scotlands foremost black academic, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, says this country must finally acknowledge the horrific truth about slavery, empire and colonialism. Email address* Phone number* [1] He was admitted to the Middle Temple on 14 June 1616 and called to the bar on 23 May 1623. Someone from the Shetland/Highland area went to Jamaica, became involved in slavery and Im a genetic product, he says.In one of his many comic asides, used to relieve the horror of the discussion, he jokes that his wife says his Viking ancestry explains a lot. It outlined a programme of constitutional and parliamentary reform to rectify the elected dictatorship he felt New Zealand had become and promoted electoral reform that resulted in MMP. In addition to his active involvement in the science and technology of cereal grain research, Sir Geoff found it possible to help to secure better education opportunities for Black and minority ethnic children in the early 1970s by writing a series of articles for the Times Educational Supplement, explaining the educational needs of these children. Sir Geoffrey gave the second Owen Woodhouse Memorial Lecture in 2018 and called for a bold and visionary overhaul of New Zealands accident compensation system. This was the first course of its kind in the United States and he was granted tenure in his second year of teaching at the college. These include the existential problems of climate change, the breakdown of the rules-based international order, and the economic dislocation resulting from COVID-19. In March 2015 he delivered the Scarman lecture at the Middle Temple in London entitled The Law Reform Enterprise: Evaluating the Past and Charting the Future that appeared in the Law Quarterly Review in July 2015. Sir Geoffreys son Matthew Palmer is a former Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dean of Law, and Director of the New Zealand Centre for Public Law at Victoria University of Wellington, and is now a High Court judge. After inviting public submissions, they revised the proposals taking public feedback into account and published Towards Democratic Renewal:Ideas for Constitutional Change in New Zealandin 2018. He says it remains incomplete and unfair, as it doesnt cover those incapacitated by illness and is not what the designers of the system intendeda simple process not requiring lawyers. Theyre defending someone they wouldnt defend normally. In education, he says, there has been a strategy of avoidance. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright The University of Edinburgh 2023. He moved from New Zealand to Iowa in August 1969 to become a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law. He has alist ofmore than 1105 publications in legal periodicals and chapters in books that can be accessed on the Social Science Research Network. Professor Sir Geoff Palmer has just found out he's part Viking. Palmer has no animosity to white people his white wife is from Aberdeen. He regularly writes and speaks about Scotland's role in slavery and colonialism and he brings to the steering group a wealth of knowledge and experience as an . PALMER feels many people wouldnt be so quick to defend Dundas if he wasnt Scottish. This is the ideal opportunity to explore our campuses, meet our academics and find out more about student life. On leaving politics in 1990, Sir Geoffrey returned to academia as a law professor at Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Iowa. Exerting his authority, he sent me off the field for questioning his decision. New Zealand Law Journal, p. 124, May 2014, Victoria University of . It is an intellectual insult, Palmer feels, which stings as badly as the N word. The education he received helped shape the intellectual interests that have remained constant throughout his life. He wrote Unbridled Power? As Chancellor, Sir Geoff will play a central role in promoting Heriot-Watts international reputation as a pioneer in research and education across its campuses in Scotland, Malaysia and Dubai. Comments have been closed on this article. I remember one of our community matches clearly. In the end, law reform is a political activity. Sir Geoffrey entered politics in 1979 when he was elected to parliament in a by-election as the Labour MP for Christchurch Central. Faculty of Law, PC, KCMG, BA, LLB Well, AC DJur Chic, DHumLittBarristerGlobal Affiliated Professor, College of Law, University of Iowa. He moved from New Zealand to Iowa in August 1969 to become a . Twitter. Renowned scientist and human rights activist, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, has today been named the new Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University. We are lucky at The Herald. During his career Sir Geoffrey has been driven by a dissatisfaction with the way things are and a determination to make a difference. Linkedin Share. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. It is the same mentality as saying the British empire brought civilisation to those who were colonised, Palmer adds. For eight years he was New Zealands Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission. The process of enrolling in a school was not easy as a young black child in 1950s London. With that, he got his first taste of a UK education. It aims to solve another problem that Geoffrey seesWe need to educate the young better than we do about how our system of government works so they can take part in it. Kingston Senior School, and North Street Congregational School, Jamaica. Sir Geoffrey had never coveted the top job. Palmer has also authored a book on the history of slavery, The Enlightenment Abolished: Citizens of Britishness (2007), and has spoken out extensively against the slave trade.[20][21]. Following his retirement, he earned the academic title of professor emeritus. There he discovered the Barley Abrasion Process (1969) and was the first to use the Scanning Electron Microscope to study malt production in detail. He remembers the hateful anti-immigrant rhetoric of Enoch Powell, and statements from Conservative politicians like if you want a n***** for a neighbour, vote Labour. He feels it seems almost fated that he would one day confront the legacy of men like Dundas. This began when he completed his PhD in grain science and technology jointly with Heriot-Watt College and the University of Edinburgh in the 1960s. Email Share. Contact us Geoff Palmer Alongside careers in research, science, technology and teaching, brewing science pioneer Professor Sir Geoff Palmer has contributed greatly to civil society and has a keen interest in Scottish-Caribbean historical connections. Slavery clashes up against that narrative. Explore books by Geoffrey Palmer with our selection at Waterstones.com. racism. The academic, who was recently appointed chancellor of Heriot-watt University, has, along with his wife, not long before speaking to Holyrood, received the results for a home DNA testing kit. In the 1690s, Scotland attempted to establish a colony in Panama. In October, distinguished guests from the realms of law and politics gathered in the Beehive Banquet Hall to honour a great New Zealanderthe Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Palmer was turning 80. By 1800 there were 800,000 UK owned, African-born slaves, of which over 300,000 were in Jamaica, generating a disproportionately high level of the profits. Geoff Palmer, Self: Sky World News. The Palmer familys land was once called Marshalls Pen the name of one of Balcarres slave plantations. A former Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, Attorney-General, Leader of the House, and Minister for the Environment, Sir Geoffrey Palmer has had a huge impact on the consitutional landscape and practice of law in Aotearoa New Zealand today. He holds four honorary doctorates. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. Distinguished Fellow In 2003 he obtained the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for scientific and charitable work. He was born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica but grew up in Allman Town, Kingston before migrating to London to join his mother at the age of 14 to help her by working in a local grocery shop in Islington in 1955. However, Sir Geoffs view is that the history of the slave trade isnt well-known or understood in the UK and teaching about this history will help people to understand personal and societal biases on the grounds of colour or race. On 29 April 2021, it was announced that Sir Geoff Palmer had been appointed as the Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, for an initial term of five years. Sir Geoff takes over from Dr Robert M. Buchan, a mining entrepreneur and philanthropist, who is standing down after almost eight years in the role. In 1984 when Labour won the election, he became Deputy Prime Minister. His highest ambition was to be Attorney-General, a working part of the constitution. Geoffrey Palmer | Faculty of Law | Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law About Our people Geoffrey Palmer Geoffrey Palmer Distinguished Fellow Faculty of Law geoffrey.palmer@vuw.ac.nz 04 4636332 242, Government Bldg 55 Lambton Quay Qualifications PC, KCMG, BA, LLB Well, AC DJur Chic, DHumLitt Barrister For eight years he was New Zealand's Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission. Mr Downie is joined by Sir Geoff Palmer, who is currently Professor Emeritus in the School of Life Sciences at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a human rights activist.In 1989, Sir Geoff became Scotland's first black professor and is most famously known for having invented the barley abrasion process. 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