Simon Francis Lee (born 29 March 1957 in Gillingham, Kent, England) is a Professor of Law at Aston University,[1] Visiting Fellow, at St Edmund's College, Cambridge, and Emeritus Professor of Jurisprudence at Queen's University Belfast.
Lee attended school in Gillingham before winning the Brackenbury scholarship to read Jurisprudence at Balliol College, Oxford.
In 1977, he won the Sweet & Maxwell Prize for the University of Oxford "Best Distinction in Law Moderations".
Whilst at Queen's he co-founded "Initiative '92" with Robin Wilson,[2] through which opinions were sought across the Northern Ireland community and political parties on ways forward.
Torkel Opsahl from Norway chaired it On his return from Queen's, Lee became Gresham Professor of Law (1995-1998).
[citation needed] Lee's leadership of this ecumenical church college is discussed in a book of essays, The Foundation of Hope, edited by R John Elford and published by Liverpool University Press in 2003.
[citation needed] The university agreed to pay back £8 million of public money as the price, described as "staggering" by Phil Willis MP, for handing back its controlling interest in the rugby club, which Lee, a rugby enthusiast, arranged.
[10] In accepting Foster's resignation, Watt made the following comments about the future of the university and his appreciation of Lee's contributions, commenting that "Dr Geoff Hitchins, a former vice-chancellor of the university, was appointed acting chief executive on Wednesday."
[13] Lee currently undertakes a research leadership role and is a professor at the Aston University Law School.