Education:

1969-1972, Oxford: B.A. Hons (Oxon), Politics and Philosophy, 1972;

1972-1976, London School of Economics and Political Science: Ph.D. (London), 1976.

Career:

January 1976 - September 1995: Lecturer (then Senior Lecturer), Ulster Polytechnic (University of Ulster 1984 -). 

September 1995 – August 2003: Reader in Moral Philosophy, University of St. Andrews.

September 2003 – May 2012: Professor of Philosophy & Public Policy, University of Lancaster

June 2012 – 2016 Professor of Philosophy, Queen’s University, Belfast

Currently, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Queen’s University, Belfast

EDITORIAL AND MANAGEMENT BOARDS, PEER REVIEWED PHILOSOPHY JOURNALS

Member of the editorial boards of:

•          Res Publica, A Journal of Legal and Social Philosophy 1995 - present

•          Philosophical Quarterly 1995 – 2003

•          Journal of Applied Philosophy 1999 - present

•          Contemporary Political Theory 2002 - present

Executive Editor of Philosophical Quarterly, January 2002 – July 2003

Chair, Management Committee, Journal of Applied Philosophy (2007 – 2011)

FELLOWSHIPS

•    Visting Fellow, Centre for Philosophy and Public Policy, University of St Andrews, January-March 1994.

•    Visting Fellow, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Professional Ethics, University 

      of Melbourne: October - December 2000 and 2005

•    Cole Scholar in Residence, University of South Florida, St Petersburg January 

      2006

•     Visting Research Professor, Centre for Child Welfare, University of Bergen, 

       Norway, 2007-2009.

•     Distinguished Visiting Research Professor, Beijing Normal University, 2009

•     Visiting Research Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008

•     Corti Fellow, Ethikzentrum, University of Zurich, March-May 2013

ACADEMIC SOCIETIES

Honorary Treasurer, Society for Applied Philosophy, September 2003 – July 2005

Honorary Chair, Society for Applied Philosophy, July 2005 – July 2010

Honorary Vice-President, Society for Applied Philosophy

PUBLIC SERVICE

Chair, Nuffield Council on Bioethics (May 2017 – December 2023)

Member, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (November 2005 –2016) Deputy Chair of HFEA and Chair of HFEA Statutory Approvals Committee.

Member, Clinical Ethics Committee, Great Ormond Street Hospital (2015 - present )

Chair, Ethics Advisory Group, ‘Every Story Matters,’ UK COVID Public Inquiry