Lesson in law at Lady Hale’s court
AS PRESIDENT of the highest court in the land, Lady Brenda Hale took decisions which struck at the heart of the UK’s democratic and justice systems.
Yesterday, the Baroness of Richmond turned her talents to inspiring Yorkshire youngsters who are interested in a legal career.
Wearing an octopus brooch – similar to one she wore last year when she delivered the historic judgement that Boris
Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament was unlawful – she attended the University of Bradford as a new mock court room was unveiled in her name.
Aimed at bringing the gravity and drama of this country’s justice system to life for students across various departments, it will also be open to the wider community and be a space for potential witnesses to gain an understanding of the daunting courts process, the university says.
Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Lady Hale praised the institution’s commitment to widening the access of underrepresented groups to careers in the Bar.
She said: “It’s very important that the diversity of those entering the legal profession is increased. Because the law is for everyone, and those who are administering the law should
Those who are administering the law should reflect everyone.
Lady Hale praised the university for making ‘real efforts towards social inclusion’.
reflect everyone. It shouldn’t just be a narrow, so-called elite group of people.
“And so a place like Bradford, which is making real efforts towards social inclusion and being there for everyone, is a very valuable place.”
Lady Hale, the first woman president of the UK’s Supreme Court, added: “One of the most impressive things about the University of Bradford is that it has won an award for social inclusion, it’s got a high percentage of BAME [black and minority ethnic] undergraduates and also more than 50 per cent come from the least advantaged areas and this is a great thing.”
She continued: “As I understand it, the proportion of barristers and solicitors is still majority white, majority from independent schools and a high proportion from a small number of universities. This is all getting better, in other words those proportions are decreasing and social inclusion is increasing, but nevertheless there’s still quite a long way to go.” Born in Leeds to head teacher parents, Lady Hale was educated at Richmond Girls School before studying law at Girton College, Cambridge. She began presiding over the Supreme Court in 2017 and was succeeded by Lord Reed earlier this month.
The mock court room is aimed at bridging the gap between students’ academic learning and practical skills for the workplace.
Lady Hale said: “It looks very much like a real court and so it will give students the opportunity to try out being an advocate. This means they can work out whether they really want to do it – because there’s no point being an advocate unless you really want to do it – but it will also give the opportunity for people to practise being witnesses, because that’s an even scarier thing, for many people, than being an advocate.”