I’ m the 21st century face of Old Bailey
IT is an age-old institution that regularly sees older, white men take to the bench in robes and dusted wigs for the delivery of justice.
But one Scot has defied the odds to become the Old Bailey’s first Asian circuit judge.
As a barrister forging her career, Dundee native Anuja Ravindra Dhir, QC, was once forced to produce her wig and gown to convince security to let her through the gates.
But now she has risen to the top of her profession and is not only the country’s first non-white circuit judge but also the youngest sitting at the historic court in London.
At school, Judge Dhir, 49, was steered towards hairdressing when she said she wanted to go to university.
She said: ‘My daughter, it would never cross her mind being treated differently because she’s a female or because she’s not white, whereas in my generation we did.
‘I wasn’t the cleverest person at school. I’m dyslexic so I find it difficult to read and write. And when I went to school in the 1970s in Scotland, women were not encouraged to aim high.
‘When I first said to a teacher I wanted to go to unisome versity when I was older, she told me that I should aim a little lower and suggested I try hairdressing instead.’
Judge Dhir grew up believing she would face discrimination and had to break down barriers to make her way in her chosen profession.
She added: ‘I grew up expecting discrimination. When I came to the bar, most of the bar was male, white, public school and they had connection with the profession. That’s four differences before we start.
‘Added to that, most clients did not want a young Asian Scottish female representing them, so that made it harder for me to build a client base.
‘I remember going to a crown court out of London and the security, the man at the gate, didn’t believe I was a barrister and in the end I had to show him my wig and gown before they would actually let me into the building.’
The Old Bailey houses 15 judges, of whom ten are men and five are women, including one who is due to start soon.
Judge Dhir praised the drive to modernise her profession.
She said: ‘I’ve been overwhelmed by the commitment to change I have seen here.
‘In particular the Recorder of London who has actively encouraged young people from diverse backgrounds to come in to the Old Bailey to see what we do here so as to let them see what opportunities there are.’
‘Male, white and public school’