Spider Woman :A Life – by the former President of the Supreme Court
Spider Woman :A Life – by the former President of the Supreme Court
paperback
Published:
7 July, 2022
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Description
Lady Hale is an inspirational figure admired for her historic achievements and for the causes she has championed. Spider Woman is her story.
As 'a little girl from a little school in a little village in North Yorkshire', she only went into the law because her headteacher told her she wasn't clever enough to study history. She became the most senior judge in the country but it was an unconventional path to the top.
How does a self-professed 'girly swot' get ahead in a profession dominated by men? Was it a surprise that the perspectives of women and other disadvantaged groups had been overlooked, or that children's interests were marginalised? A lifelong smasher of glass-ceilings, who took as her motto 'women are equal to everything', her landmark rulings in areas including domestic violence, divorce, mental health and equality were her attempt to correct that.
As President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale won global attention in finding the 2019 prorogation of Parliament to be unlawful. Yet that dramatic moment was merely the pinnacle of a career throughout which she was hailed as a pioneering reformer.
Wise, warm and inspiring, Spider Woman shows how the law shapes our world and supports us in crisis. It is the story of how Lady Hale found that she could overcome the odds, which shows that anyone from similar beginnings will find that they can cope too.
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781529114041 |
| ISBN10 | 1529114047 |
| Number Of Pages | 288 |
| Item Weight | 226 g |
| Product Dimensions | 128 x 197 x 18 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Vintage Publishing |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
Brenda Hale is a superhero who embodies Parker's law that great power brings equivalent responsibility. Her wise, accessible memoir is essential, entertaining and inspirational reading for all lovers of freedom, equality and justice -- Shami Chakrabarti
What a life, what a story... Spider Woman is restrained, warm, dryly funny ... and an inspiration to all women to aim high... Whatever her title, Brenda Hale rocks -- Melanie Reid * The Times *
Inspirational and iconic -- Philippe Sands
A feminist icon... Her success story is an inspiration for men and women both - showing that law matters -- Baroness Helena Kennedy QC
This book is not only essential reading for anyone who is in the Law or interested in the Law but it is also a fascinating personal story -- Cherie Blair
A compelling account of a path-breaking and inspirational career by one of the most influential lawyers and judges of our times -- David Pannick QC
Brenda Hale's story is extraordinary. She has been a pioneer as a woman... Spider woman and agent of change -- Harriet Harman
Lady Hale takes us on the journey from 'girly swot' to 'Spider Woman' and along the way teaches us about the importance of the rule of law and protecting human rights... with humanity, humour and deep insight -- Minouche Shafik
This is an extraordinary and essential journey through the law by the most inspiring of figures
-- Nazir AfzalFluently written... Her accounts of her more groundbreaking cases are fascinating... [Spider Woman is] quietly thrilling -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Brenda Hale, Rt Hon the Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE, was born in Yorkshire and studied Law at Girton College, Cambridge. She was called to the Bar in 1969 and spent almost twenty years in academia whilst also practising as a barrister for a short time.
In 1984, Lady Hale became the first woman and the youngest person to be appointed to the Law Commission, where she oversaw critical reforms in family law and mental disability law. She also began sitting as a part time judge, was appointed a QC in 1989, and became a full time judge in the Family Division of the High Court of England and Wales in 1994.
She was the first and only woman to become a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, joining the appellate committee of the House of Lords in 2004, when it was still the top court for the whole United Kingdom. She was the first woman to serve on the newly created Supreme Court, was appointed Deputy President in 2013, and its President from 2017 to 2020.
She lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
She is the author of the acclaimed memoir Spider Woman and With the Law On Our Side.