John Gardner at Home

Tribute from Nicole Roughan

Oxford jurisprudence is a mightily intimidating place to those outside it who try nevertheless to take it on, and I am very grateful for the interest and encouragement you’ve shown me. As you know, the substantive impact of your work is all through my own and will continue to be, but the impact of your kindness is what I treasure most. I hope you are already aware of just how highly you are regarded for bringing goodness and humanity (and of course humour) into what you do. You model the very best of academic friendship in which, because we bring so much of ourselves into our writing and teaching, we see quite a lot of each other even when we don’t see each other all that often. (Appropriately in your case, I think the same is true of musicians.) Your own generosity, to me, has been to share your friendship liberally, turning brief connections into lasting ones.

Every generation of scholars has its informal lists of senior academic superheroes, and you are on every list I’ve ever heard.

Aroha nui

Nicole Roughan