Former Chair of Council Jonathan Montgomery awarded knighthood for Services to Bioethics and Healthcare Law

Former Chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Jonathan Montgomery, has been awarded a knighthood in the New Years Honours for Services to Bioethics and Healthcare Law.

Professor Sir Jonathan chaired the Council between 2012 and 2017 and had previously served as a member of the working party on public health ethics (2007). He was heavily involved in promoting the Council’s conclusions on mitochondrial replacement therapies, including giving evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee and briefing MPs and peers prior to their debates on regulations permitting their use in carefully defined circumstances.

He continues to be active in the governance of bioethics issues and is Professor of Healthcare Law at UCL, Chair of the Health Research Authority and a member of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies.

Jonathan said:

‘I am delighted, and somewhat overwhelmed, that the value of bioethics has been recognised in this award. We can be very proud of the contribution that the UK makes to this field and in particular of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which is recognised as an international leader. It was an immense privilege to have served as chair and to have worked with outstanding colleagues on this vital aspect of public life.’

Hugh Whittall, Director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said: "I am delighted to learn that Jonathan has received this well-earned honour. It was an immense pleasure working with him during his time as Chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. He brought not just great expertise, but also an approach that was highly collaborative and inclusive. He led the Council in some important work around mitochondrial donation, genome editing, children and clinical research, non-invasive prenatal testing and the use of biological data in health research. His work in bioethics and its contribution to policy making will be a notable and lasting one."