Lissie Harper launched a campaign after her husband, whom she had married four weeks before, was killed in the line of duty in Berkshire in August 2019. Three people were found guilty of manslaughter but not of murder. Harper’s Law requires mandatory life sentences for those who kill an emergency worker while on duty. Following the Old Bailey trial, Mrs Harper of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, wrote an open letter requesting a retrial for murder, but the Court of Appeal upheld all three verdicts and sentences. At the time she voiced her disappointment and said the sentences “do not reflect the severity and barbarity of the crimes they committed”. “I continue to be disappointed by our justice system and the inadequate laws in place,” she added. She launched an extensive campaign with the Police Federation’s help and held high-level meetings with her husband’s colleagues and the Lord Chancellor. In 2021, Harper’s Law was announced in collaboration with then-Home Secretary Priti Patel as an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill. The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022 was passed and received Royal Assent on April 28, 2022. Mrs. Harper met with then-Home Secretary Priti Patel and told her that the “justice system is broken.” “Her personal campaigning in the midst of her grief brought this about and will benefit other families in the future,” the government said in a statement. Mrs Harper stated after the law was passed that she was ready to “find happiness” in what she hoped would be her final press interview. I know Andrew would want me to be happy,” she explained at the time.

Mrs Harper expressed her gratitude for being included in the list of New Year’s Honours. “It’s been a hell of a journey, and Harper’s Law is a huge achievement in honour of my amazing Andrew,” she said. I never set out on this campaign expecting to be recognised, but it really means a lot to me, and I know Andrew would be very proud.” She thanked her “incredibly supportive” family and friends, and especially thanked Andrew Fiddler for his assistance in enacting Harper’s Law. “Those of you who understand the grief of losing a life partner know that we will never move on but can only aim to move forward in life and turn our heartbreak into something to be proud of,” she added. PC Harper and a colleague were four hours over shift when they responded to reports of a quad bike theft. Elsewhere in Oxfordshire and Berkshire, 62-year-old Jane Watson is awarded an MBE for services to sport in recognition of her work as the director of Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre. Under her leadership, the centre has become the English Institute of Sport’s flagship site, treating and rehabilitating nearly 1,000 athletes. Ms Watson, a former cross-country skier who competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, is also in charge of sports, science, and medical sciences provision for Olympic and Paralympic athletes, the Army, and the Royal Ballet. Kim James, Oxfordshire County Council’s head of school improvement, has been awarded an MBE for her role in reducing school closures during the Covid lockdowns. She has also been recognised for her efforts to establish a dedicated helpline that provided assistance to all of the county’s schools and academies during the pandemic. Grey line for presentation