Deemster David Doyle - First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls of the Isle of Man (Law, 1981)

I still vividly remember, during my first week at Newcastle University, being shown how to get the best out of a law library and picking up a law report and reading a judgment. From that moment on I had always wanted to be a Deemster (a High Court judge) and in March 2003 I was fortunate enough to be appointed Her Majesty’s Second Deemster following the first open competition for the position. David, who graduated with a degree in law in 1981, was appointed Her Majesty’s first Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls - in effect the Chief Justice of the Isle of Man - in 2010. He has enjoyed a highly successful career and remembers his time at Newcastle warmly. My best memories are the cross-country running, the football, the live music at weekends, the adrenalin rush of the mooting competitions and the comfort and security of the well stocked law library. With hindsight, I probably spent too much time in the library but the law library at Newcastle University was a very inspiring place to be.