Sir Richard Brabazon Macrory, CBE, Hon KC (born 30 March 1950) is a British barrister who is emeritus professor of environmental law at University College London. He is one of the leading environmental lawyers of his generation, and has had a significance influence of the development of British environmental law and policy.
Macrory served as a board member of the Environment Agency England and Wales between 1999 and 2004, and was a long-standing member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Environmental Law. In 2006, Macrory led the Cabinet Office Review on Regulatory Sanctions and his recommendations led to profound changes in the design and enforcement of sanctions in England and Wales. Macrory was the first chair of the UK Environmental Law Association.
Macrory is an Emeritus Professor with the Faculty of Laws, University College, London and a Research Fellow at Linacre College, Oxford.
He is the author of several books on environmental law including Regulation Enforcement and Governance in Environmental Law (2nd edition 2014) and Irresolute Clay – Shaping the Foundations of Modern Environmental Law (2020), and over 150 articles on various aspects of environmental law.
Early life and personal Macrory was born in Headley, Surrey on 30 March 1950.General Registry Office of England and Wales. Register of Births Vol 5g 1037. retrieved 2025-7-21 He was educated at Westminster School, and read jurisprudence at Christ Church, Oxford, obtaining a BA in 1971 (MA 1976).Christ Church Members Register. Retrieved 25-07-21
He was called to the Bar in 1974.Christ Church Members Register. Retrieved 25-07-20
Between 1975 and 1978, Macrory was the in-house lawyer at Friends of the Earth Ltd in London, and was heavily involved in the Windscale inquiry on nuclear reprocessing, then the longest planning inquiry seen in this country.Parker RJ. The Windscale Inquiry Report by the Hon. Mr Justice Parker presented to the Secretary of State on 26 January 1978. https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:9383981 Retrieved 24/08/16
Macrory is married with two adult sons.Who's Who (2025) https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U26221. Retrieved 25-07-20 He has British and Irish citizenship.Who's Who (2025) https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U26221. Retrieved 25-06-20
Academic career
Macrory began his academic career at Imperial College of Science and Technology based at the newly established Centre for Environmental Technology. He was a lecturer between 1980–1989, Reader 1989-1991, and in 1991 was promoted the first Professor Environmental Law in the United Kingdom. Between 1994 and 1995 he was Director of the Environmental Change Unit, University of Oxford,^ “Campaign boosted by new appointments”. Oxford University Gazette. Vol 125. No 4336 p 1. (1994-09-22) Oxford University Gazette Index to Vol 125 Retrieved 2024-06-15 and between 1991 and 1994 the Denton Hall Professor of Environmental Law, Imperial College.Who's Who (2025) https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U26221. Retrieved 25-07-20
In 1999 he was appointed Professor of Environmental Law at the Faculty of Laws, University College, London. In 2001 he established the Centre for Law and the Environment within the Faculty to provide a focal point for the Faculty's developing strength in teaching and research in environmental law.https://www.ucl.ac.uk/law-environment/ucl-centre-law-and-environment Retrieved 2024-07-15 In 2007 set up and became director of the UCL Carbon Capture Legal Programme,https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2007/oct/ucl-launches-carbon-capture-and-storage-legal-initiative. Retrieved 2024-06-15 a five year programme designed to explore and provide information on legal developments, nationally and internationally, in carbon capture and storage.https://sciencebusiness.net/news/69324/UCL-wins-grant-for-programme-on-legal-aspects-of-carbon-capture. retrieved 24-7-22 Between 2010 and 2014 he directed a major research programme, funded by the UK Space Energy, Arts and Humanities Research Council, and Economic and Social Research Council, on the potential of using earth observation technologies as an enforcement tool in environmental law.https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/law-environment/category/satellites-and-the-law Retrieved. 2024-06-15 On retirement in 2017, he was appointed an Emeritus Professor at UCL.
Bar practice
Between 1989 and 1990 he was a member of European Law Chambers, London, and between 1991 and 2021 he was a door tenant at Brick Court Chambers.Who's Who (2025) https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U26221. Retrieved 25-07-20 Most of his practice involved providing advice or written opinions, but he was junior counsel in a number of significant British environmental cases:
R v Environment Agency ex parte Dockgrange [1997) Env. LR 415 (High Court, transhipment of waste)'Is Franz Kafka Alive and Well and Working for the Environment Agency? Transfrontier Waste Shipments and Proportionality' Journal of Environmental Law, Volume 10, Issue 1, 1998, Pages 146–160, https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/10.1.146. Retrieved 25-7-22 British Waterways Board v Severn Trent (2001) 3 WLR 613 (Court of Appeal, water law) R ex parte National Grid Gas v Environment Agency (2007) UKHL 30 (House of Lords, contaminated land)Justine Thornton 'UK Law—Significant Environmental Cases 2007–08' Journal of Environmental Law, Volume 20, Issue 2, 2008, Pages 293–321, https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqn015
In 2019, Chambers ranked him as a Senior Statesperson in environmental law.https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/news/2018/nov/professor-richard-macrory-ranked-senior-statesperson-chambers-uk-and-uk-bar-guide-2019 retrieved February 2024 Retrieved. 2024.07.16
In 2010 he was elected a Master of the Bench, Grays Inn.https://www.graysinn.org.uk/app/uploads/2025/07/20250717_Masters-of-the-Bench.pdf. retrieved 25-07.22
UK Environmental Law Association
Between 1989 and 1992. Macrory was the first chair of the UK Environmental Law Association. In 2007 he was made a Patron of the Association,https://www.ukela.org/UKELA/About-Us/People.aspx?WebsiteKey=fc155a49-8c72-41be-9d39-0ee9d6c5ca9f&hkey=24b6562f-4afe-4fe0-a45b-7ad72a9d1374&ecff56fa100a=3#ecff56fa100a Retrieved 2024.07.16 and in 2016-2018 he was co-chair of the UKELA Brexit Working Party. UKELA was neutral on the Brexit Referendum, and the Working Party produced a series of reports exploring legal implications arising from Brexit for various aspects of environmental law.https://www.ukela.org/UKELA/UKELA/ReadingRoom/Brexit/UKELAsworkonbrexit.aspx Retrieved 2024.07.16 In 2024 he gave UKELA's annual Garner lecture, entitled 'Confessions of a Tunneler - Lawyers and the Environment'https://www.ukela.org/UKELA/UKELA/Events/Garner-Lecture.aspx. retrieved 2025.07.02
Journal of Environmental Law
In 1988 Macrory was the founding editor of the Journal of Environmental Law, and remained editor in chief until 1992.https://academic.oup.com/jel/pages/Editorial_Board?login=false. retrieved 25-07-22 He was then a member of the Editorial Board until 2025.https://academic.oup.com/jel/issue/37/1. retrieved 25-07-22 In 2014 Oxford University Press established the annual Macrory prize for the most thought-provoking and innovative article published in the Journal each year.
External appointments
Between 1991 and 2003 Macrory was the sole legal member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. During his term of office, eight Reports were published: Water 1992), Waste Incineration (1993), Transport (1994), Soil (1996), Transport Developments since 1994 (1997), Environmental Standards (1998), Energy (2000)), Environmental Planning (2002).The National Archives. CY1 Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution Reports. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C5722. retrieved 25-07-22 During his membership, he was elected chair of the Steering Committee of the network of European Environmental Advisory Councils 2001-2003.https://eeac.eu/ Retrieved 2024.07.16
He was a Board Member of the Environment Agency England and Wales 1999-2004.Who's Who (2025) https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U26221. Retrieved 25-07-22 He was a specialist advisor in environmental law to the House of Commons Select Committee on the Environment on six inquiries between 1989 and 1992 Contaminated Land HC Session 1989-90 First Report; European Community Environmental Policy HC Session 1989-90 Second Report; Pollution of Beaches HC Session 1989-90 Fourth Report; EC draft landfill directive HC Session 1990-91 Seventh Report; 1st report: Environmental issues in Northern Ireland HC Session 1990-91 Seventh Report; Eco-labelling HC Session 1990-91 Eighth Report; The Government's Proposals for an Environment Agency HC Session 1991-92, First Report 551-III and subsequently a specialist advisor to the House of Commons Select Committee on Environment, Transport, and the Regions on its inquiries into consumer products.'Reducing the Environmental Impact of Consumer Products' Eleventh Report Session 1998-99. HC 191-I Between 1991 and 1992 he was a specialist advisor to the Specialist Advisor, House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities (Environment Sub-committee) during their inquiry into enforcement and implementation of EC legislation.'Enforcement and Implementation of EC Legislation' Ninth Report of House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities (Environment Sub-committee) Session 1991-92. HL Paper 53-I
Macrory was the Hon President of the National Society for Clean Air between 2004 and 2005, and was Standing Counsel to the Council for the Protection of Rural England for eleven years between 1981-1992. He was the Legal Correspondent to ENDS Report between 1986 and 2019. Between 2007 and 2008 he was a member of the Sullivan Working Group on Access to Environmental Justice.https://unece.org/DAM/env/pp/compliance/C2008-33/correspondence/FrCAJE_updatedSullivanReport_2010.09.14.pdf Retrieved 2024.08.16 Between 1990 and 1991 he was a member of the UK National Advisory Committee on Eco-labelling (chair of the Sub-Committee on Administration.
Between 2021 and 2025, Macrory was a board member of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). Following Brexit, OEP was established as an independent body to hold government and other public bodies to account for implementation and enforcement of environmental law, one of a handful of such bodies in the world.Macrory R (2024) “ Innovations in Environmental Governance: The Significance of the British Office for Environmental Protection”. Environmental Policy and Law 54 (2024) 189–200 189 DOI 10.3233/EPL-239031. Retrieved 2024.06.15
Regulatory sanctions
In 2002, Macrory was commissioned by the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs to study the possible introduction of civil penalties for breaches of environmental law.
MACRORY and WOODS (2003) Environmental Civil Penalties – A More Proportionate Response to Regulatory Breach Centre for Law and the Environment, University College, London At the time, the only sanctions available to regulators such as the Environment Agency for breaches of most environmental laws was a criminal sanction or, where the breach was not considered serious, a caution or warning, or other informal approaches. The report argued that in addition to these existing sanctions, environmental regulators should also be able to impose civil penalties of the sort widely used in Germany and the United States.Environment and Climate Change Laws and Regulations : Germany Report 2025, International Comparative Legal Guide https://iclg.com/practice-areas/environment-and-climate-change-laws-and-regulations/germany. retrieved 25-06-22; United States Environment Protection Agency Enforcement https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/basic-information-enforcement retrieved 25-06-22