The Governor-General, Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, will receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at Victoria University of Wellington's graduation ceremony on 13 December 2017.

Victoria University Chancellor Sir Neville Jordan says the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws is an acknowledgement of Dame Patsy’s leadership as Governor-General as well as her previous career in law and business.

Dame Patsy graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University in 1976 and was subsequently awarded a Master of Laws (First Class Honours) in 1979. She lectured at Victoria’s Law Faculty before joining the law firm Watts and Patterson (now Minter Ellison Rudd Watts) in 1982.

She enjoyed a rapid rise through the firm’s ranks, becoming the first female partner in 1983, before joining Brierley Investments as Group Legal Counsel in 1987. With her extensive background in law and business, Dame Patsy subsequently became highly sought after for governance and consulting roles in the public and private sectors.