Sarah Worthington

Dame Sarah Elizabeth Worthington, (née Monks; born 18 February 1955) is an English legal scholar, professor at LSE Law School, barrister, and Deputy High Court Judge in the Chancery Division, specialising in company law, commercial law, and equity. From 2011 to 2022, she was the Downing Professor of the Laws of England at the University of Cambridge. She is Treasurer of the British Academy and a trustee of the British Museum.

Early life and education The then Sarah Monks was born on 18 February 1955 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England. From 1975 to 1976, she was a doctoral candidate at the University of Queensland, undertaking cancer research; she left without completing. In 1977, while training to be a teacher, she completed a Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of Queensland.

Career Scientific career Worthington's early career was in science. From 1974 to 1977, she was a departmental tutor in the Biochemistry Department of the University of Queensland.

In 2011, Worthington moved to the University of Cambridge where she had been appointed the Downing Professor of the Laws of England and elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Worthington has held a number of visiting appointments. She has been a Professorial Fellow of the University of Melbourne since 2005. From 2010 to 2015, she was Cheng Yu Tong Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong. Since 2012, she has been a Distinguished Fellow of the Australian Centre for Private Law of TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland.

Legal career On 10 March 2005, Worthington was Called to the Bar at Middle Temple, thereby becoming a barrister. She was President of The Society of Legal Scholars from 2008 to 2009. She was made an honorary Queen's Counsel in 2010. She is an overseas Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Law (FAAL). In February 2010, she was appointed Queen's Counsel (Honoris Causa) and thereby granted the post-nominal letters "QC (Hon)". She became a member of Academia Europaea in 2012.

She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to English private law.

Selected works