Remembering Professor Sir Roy Goode CBE KC FBA

It is with deep sadness that we have learnt of the passing of Professor Sir Roy Goode CBE KC FBA. He will be greatly missed by colleagues, students and alumni across Queen Mary and beyond, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

Educated at Highgate School, as an articled clerk, and through the University of London’s External Programme, Sir Roy exemplified the power of independent study and self-driven scholarship. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1955, he spent 17 years in private practice, where his instinct for clarity and rigour led him to write a pioneering work on hire purchase.

In 1971, Sir Roy joined Queen Mary University of London as Professor of Law. It was here, in 1980, that he founded the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), driven by a simple but transformative idea: that commercial law would advance most powerfully when academics and practitioners worked side by side. His vision created a new model for legal scholarship one that blended theoretical depth with real world insight which continues to shape the Centre’s global reputation today.

Sir Roy’s academic career was marked by distinction at every stage. He served as Head of Department at Queen Mary, held the Crowther Professorship of Credit and Commercial Law, and later became the Norton Rose Professor of English Law at the University of Oxford, where he remained as an Emeritus Professor and an Emeritus Fellow of St John’s College.

His contributions to public life were equally significant: he served on the Crowther Committee on Consumer Credit, the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, the DTI Advisory Committee on Arbitration, and chaired the Pension Law Review Committee, whose work after the Maxwell scandal led directly to the Pensions Act 1995. Internationally he contributed greatly to the work of UNIDROIT, notably with the Cape Town Convention facilitating security for lenders over mobile equipment like aircraft equipment, railway rolling stock, and space assets.

A prolific scholar, Sir Roy is internationally recognised for his work on commercial law, particularly in the fields of credit, security, insolvency, and transnational commercial law. His writings remain foundational texts for practitioners and academics alike.

His achievements have been honoured with numerous distinctions: appointed OBE in 1972, CBE in 1994, and knighted in 2000 for services to academic law. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1988, made a QC in 1990, and became an honorary Bencher of the Inner Temple in 1992.

Yet beyond the titles and accolades, Sir Roy’s legacy is defined by something deeper: the creation of intellectual communities, the mentoring of generations of lawyers, and the belief that rigorous scholarship can and should serve society. The Centre for Commercial Law Studies stands today as living proof of that belief a thriving institution built on the foundations he laid. Professor Sir Royston Miles (Roy) Goode stands as one of the most influential figures in modern commercial law a scholar, practitioner, and institution builder whose vision reshaped the discipline in the United Kingdom and far beyond. Born on 6 April 1933, Sir Roy’s journey from schoolboy to one of the most recognised legal academics of his generation is a testament to his intellectual curiosity, determination, and an unwavering commitment to public service.

Sir Roy Goode’s life and work continue to inspire all who seek to understand, shape, and improve the laws that govern commercial life. His legacy endures not only in the institutions he built and the texts he wrote, but in the countless students, scholars, and practitioners whose thinking he has influenced and whose careers he has helped to shape. Professor Rosa Lastra, Sir John Lubbock Chair in Banking Law at CCLS, writes “Sir Roy Goode has shaped the world of commercial law with intellectual brilliance, academic rigour and a warm and genial personality. His palpable and passionate enthusiasm for transnational commercial law leaves Queen Mary a legacy that will continue to resonate for generations.”

The Roy Goode Scholarship has been supporting talented prospective students over the last decade.  One such student Nuel Oji (Tax Law LLM student from 2022) said: "I cannot describe how happy I was to receive the scholarship. I have been lucky to get a job at one of the biggest professional service firms in the world and the Roy Goode Scholarship was especially helpful in my interview.”

Professor Ioannis Kokkoris writes:

It is a privilege, as Head of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary University of London, to pay tribute to Professor Sir Roy Goode. A scholar whose vision, intellectual generosity, and commitment to the public value of legal education continue to define who we are as a community.

Sir Roy’s contribution to commercial law is unparalleled. His scholarship transformed the understanding of commercial law, bringing clarity, structure, and intellectual rigour to areas that are central to modern economic life. Yet his legacy extends far beyond the many influential books, articles, and reforms for which he is rightly celebrated. His greatest achievement may be the creation of an institution and an academic culture that continues to flourish decades later.

When Sir Roy founded the Centre for Commercial Law Studies in 1980, he established a distinctive model for legal scholarship. This brought together academic excellence, engagement with practice, and a commitment to addressing challenges faced in the real world. His belief that commercial law should be studied in dialogue with those who use and shape it remains at the heart of CCLS today. The Centre’s global reputation, its vibrant community of scholars and students, and its close relationship with the legal profession are enduring reflections of the foundations he laid.

As Head of School, I am continually reminded of the strength of that legacy. The ambition, international outlook, and collegial spirit that characterise CCLS are deeply connected to Sir Roy’s original vision. Generations of academics, practitioners, and students have benefited from the environment he created, one where rigorous research, innovation, and collaboration can thrive.

Sir Roy was not only an exceptional legal scholar, he was also a mentor and a person who understood the importance of nurturing future generations. His influence can be seen in the careers of countless lawyers and academics around the world, many of whom continue to advance the fields he helped shape.

We remember Sir Roy with immense gratitude and admiration. His work has left an indelible mark on commercial law and on Queen Mary University of London. The continued success of CCLS stands as a living testament to his vision, and his commitment to excellence will continue to inspire our community for generations to come.

Professor Sir Roy Goode’s legacy is not only in the law he wrote, but in the people and institutions he inspired.