Child abuse/protection barrister,Emeritus Professor of Law Gresham College.Views my own(warts & all) RT=worth a read,not necessarily endorsements:I read & learn
Thread. On this day I want to celebrate the women who raised & inspired us. My nan: Ivy Norris.B 1916 D 2001.Gave birth in 1939 to triplets,whose combined weight was less than 11lbs, at home with her mum as her birther. Pre NHS. Pre Scans. Pre incubators. All survived.
The International Society of Women Judges are deeply concerned about the safety of their sister judges in Afghanistan ans have asked for all the publicity we can get asking the government for humanitarian support to protect them. Women judges are seen as an especial threat
Unintended consequences: Prorogation halts all parliamentary business.Bills yet to be given Royal Assent likely to fall away(unless specifically carried over to the next session)include the Domestic Abuse Bill 2019 & the Divorce, Dissolution & Separation Bill 2019-so long awaited
“She was just walking home” has been the rallying cry over the death of Sarah Everard.
But in court today the prosecution has said there are five better words that summarise what happened to Sarah:
“Deception, kidnap, rape, strangulation, fire.”
@LBC
So this is why I’m in
@CounselMagazine
.- there’s no point in saying theres no stigma attached to being neurodivergent at the Bar unless we lead by example. So I submitted to psychiatric assessment to demonstrate, by deed, that there was no shame attached to being assessed….
To those who applied for pupillage and got it: you are awesome. To those who applied for pupillage and didn’t get it: you are awesome.Whatever news you got today DON’T compare yourselves to others. Carry on being you. To get this far you will already be someone rather special
Brenda Hale says what needs to be said - again she stands out by taking a lead - re women judges in Afghanistan- we must shout out loudly here in the UK so they aren’t silenced by Taliban.Please see my previous tweet for ways to help via International Association of Women Judges.
Myself and my two adult daughters have one of these each. They are in our purses along with the loose change . We see and handle them every day and are reminded that others had to fight for our right to earn our living and spend our own money as we wish.
Suffragette-defaced Edward VII penny, defaced with subversive political graffiti for the women's suffrage cause - early twentieth century, from the UK
(with thanks to
@JoDQC
for the images of her coin)
#womensart
Heather Hallett on Desert Island Discs
@BBCRadio4
is on now. Listen. Please. She is speaking for many of us when she describes her experiences of being sexually harassed as women at the Bar when we didn’t have the bravery to speak up or the support to do so
Yesterday I was delighted to be made a Fellow of
@GreshamCollege
. An honour to sit alongside my appointment as Professor Emeritus of Law.Anyone who read the tweet re my family background will understand just how much this would have astounded my mum
#Comprehensivekidmadegood
Thread. On this day I want to celebrate the women who raised & inspired us. My nan: Ivy Norris.B 1916 D 2001.Gave birth in 1939 to triplets,whose combined weight was less than 11lbs, at home with her mum as her birther. Pre NHS. Pre Scans. Pre incubators. All survived.
@TRiiCiiAKANTREL
What a beautiful image. Not just the visual (which is of two stunners may I be so bold as to say ?) but the message it conveys about motherhood and working lives. Your confidence and pride in who you are shines through. Thank you for sharing
Today is a good day. My days with our elected PM go back to my earliest at the Bar. We were trustees of the Haldane Soc, set up & worked at the Seafarers Legal
advice centre together & came through the poll tax riots.We,& our colleagues,came to the Bar to make a difference. Cont
I am delighted & honoured to be appointed as Emeritus Gresham Professor of Law for life & to be appointed to a College Fellowship.
@GreshamCollege
is a brains trust committed to delivering education of the highest calibre to all. Education is a passport to advancement: Join us
This lovely full of life silk is a fabulous example of a successful woman who reached down to those climbing up the ladder. When i took silk she personally write to tell me how many women I followed. She did that for all new female QCs Before (& since)
Baroness Brenda Hale: our first women President of the Supreme Court. Unashamedly Feminist . Brilliant. Formidable in argument. Boundless support to the next generation , affectionately termed the ‘ Beyoncé of the legal world by students
#100yearsofExtraordinaryWomen
1/2 Today I signed the contact with
@BristolUniversityPress
to write a book, working title,‘ A Life in the Law- Advocating for Change ‘.It’s something I never dreamed of as a comprehensive kid, as preposterous as becoming a QC, Prof
@GreshamCollege
& public speaker
@HThorneycroft
by the Taliban or their allies who do not accept a woman can stand in judgement of a man.Women are also less able to protect themselves because they cannot freely move within cities or from one town to another. 2 women judges lost their lives in an attack earlier this year. Cont
Our “well-funded” courts resemble those in a war-torn third world country. The robing room at Maidstone Crown Court. With picture of willow and stream. Anyone know what the stain is?
I went to Oxford to read law, took silk in 2006. She died in 2007. She raised me to be strong , independent, resilient, proud. She lives on in my memory and in the love and strength of my girls
@zoe_dels
and megan D-L
#InternationalWomenDay2020
We understand prisoners have been released from high security prisons. Judges are receiving calls with threats such “where will you hide now?”. Their contact details are unfortunately likely to be readily available. Judges are burning their law books to avoid being identified.
All hail Queen (Counsel)
@PriorQc
. To anyone who follows Mary on LinkedIn or Twitter you will know that she is as down to earth, supportive & positive as this interview clip suggests. She is one of the best of the Bar and the Bench. If this inspires you- act
#BeLikeMary
Tomorrow I’ll be giving evidence to the Westminster Commission on Legal Aid. Join us. It’s free. Link below. Amongst other things I’ll be saying a legal aid career at the Bar isnt viable on top of education & training costs & that impacts on diversity.
This is the link to statement issued by the Int Assn of Women judges. Please retweet. Public pressure on our politicians gives a voice for our sister judges in Afghanistan
Hi legal Twitter- so Im back publicly on line. Mariam made me do it. I laughed so loud I thought the world might have heard me. Thought I may as well come back and say ‘hello I’ve missed you ‘ to my Twitter mates. So what else has been happening ….
single parent family✔️
her mum worked 3 jobs✔️
first Delahunty to go to uni✔️
went to Oxford✔️
became a family law barrister✔️
defends abused children✔️
did the Hillsborough trial✔️
became Professor of Law✔️
got Freedom of the City of London✔️
my hero, my backbone, my mum ❤️
When a child goes home, with no NAI findings made, after a hard fought, apparently ‘no hoper’ fact find;where all medical experts are against you; where it’s cross examination that makes a difference to outcome- we renew the fight & right to have court time & experts in the box
I am very conscious of the women who should be in my place or beside me when I am given the freedom of the City. On the 13th I shall be celebrating the women (& men) of strength, intelligence & courage who took the first steps to equality. There is more to be done
#First100years
We ask you to do what you can to publicize the risks facing women judges in Afghanistan and to urge your governments to do what they can to ensure that humanitarian evacuations include women judges.
1/+ will post something more ‘lawyerly’ (maybe) to celebrate International Women’s Day. But this post is to celebrate the women that I know and respect who have a little bit of punk in them.For anyone who grew up in the 70s it was a revelation to see such fiercely intelligent...
My hero’s. I have more- The entire team- But today - These three role models deserve all my pride and praise for what they have endured for the hard fought ‘privilege’ of wearing an England shirt.
@SteveStuWill
This is a revelation. How much harm have we done to our ‘wild’ life not knowing their capabilities? How far have we under estimated their capacity to think , learn , and thus suffer ?
Please take the time to read this thoughtful, engaging and reflective piece on what it means to be a defence barrister, the system they work in, who they work for and why. I salute my colleagues
@TheCriminalBar
The threat posed to the profession by these government plans is too important to be allowed to happen through sheer exhaustion.The
@TheCriminalBar
marshalled the evidence against EOH, won the argument, yet the plan will be implemented. We stand with our colleagues to oppose it
1/2 The Family Law Bar Association stands as one with our colleagues at the Criminal Bar Association in their opposition to the ‘Temporary Operating Arrangements’ announced by the Government.
I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the legal New Year than by welcoming my friend and, now colleague, Alex Wilson
@EssexBarrister
to
@4PBFamilyLaw
. We are thrilled to have her in our team. Welcome Alex
@4PBFamilyLaw
are delighted to announce that Alexandra Wilson,
@EssexBarrister
formerly of
@5SAHLaw
, has joined 4PB with immediate effect. Please join us in welcoming Alexandra to the team.
To read more about Alexandra, click here:
If you don’t follow
@dotslondon
and are an animal lover then you are missing out on daily dollops of kindness from a group of supremely dedicated humans can help the homeless and their dogs through daily challenges we are lucky not to have to face.
118 days in our foster sanctuary away from her homeless owner, 1 high court injunction served on a London borough council housing dept after refusing to accept duty of care,Won the right to be housed, tomoro they both move into their new permanent home!Long case but HAPPY ENDING
I will try to attach a statement from the IAWJ released on Friday. We also provide a link to an interview on the position in Afghanistan with Vanessa Ruiz that aired on Saturday.
I was diagnosed with ICD-11, 6AO5.2 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Presentation (symptoms of inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity). Something long suspected by my family. It’s not a burden. It explains how I function in my job- & I do my job well …
People crossed the road to avoid talking to her about me.She was unbowed.She raised me without my fathers support by holding down 3 jobs with my grandparents as my co carers. She was one of the first women in the country to get a mortgage in her sole name in the late 60’s.
Happy 30th birthday to The Children Act! It made the child's welfare it's paramount principle. No more 'custody' battles.The State had duties to support struggling families before resorting to removal of a child & cd do so only after fair legal process. How well has the Act aged?
Please look at these stats for criminal & family barristers.The thread that joins them is legal aid & working directly with the most vulnerable of our society. How much longer will professionals make this choice to do this work at so much personal cost and loss?
#TheLawIsBroken
Before we contemplate the threat to democracy & equal rights that RBG’s death creates from the SC vacancy now to be filled under an overt political selection process let us applaud RBG for all she did for her fellow citizens & value to uphold what she fought for.She was a Titan.
@BarristerSecret
Return to work post maternity leave. High court trial. cross examining expert. Eye2eye contact to put baby brain away. Hear distracting noise to one side. It doesn’t stop.Extend a hand with hand up ‘wait’ kinda signal.Say ‘hang on a minute honeybun’. Silence falls. ‘Noise’=judge
The issue the Garrick club is not going to go away. This is not about the fairness of a gathering of like minded folk-for me it’s about public service & membership of a private male club being incompatible with the judicial oath & public pledges to support equality&diversity….
Afghan Women Judges: The IAWJ have set up a fund for translation, interpretation, logistical & administrative support to provide direct aid to our sister judges & their families in Afghanistan. Link here ….
Brenda Hale says what needs to be said - again she stands out by taking a lead - re women judges in Afghanistan- we must shout out loudly here in the UK so they aren’t silenced by Taliban.Please see my previous tweet for ways to help via International Association of Women Judges.
@WomaninHavana
731 of us signed. If just 500 tweet out -just think how many more people we can reach to get the message out? Silence is not an option when ignorant and inflammatory words used to denigrate our co workers and our work can cause real harm. Words matter. Principles count
@JolyonMaugham
Perhaps an invitation to
@EssexBarrister
to speak at Judicial College too ? That could have a tickle down effect for all aspects of court life and court users not just the Bench
I’m about to take a few weeks+ off as sick leave & -to to make that real- I need to cut myself off from work in all it’s forms. Why bother to say that? It’s because I know we can’t afford to let our warrior colleagues
@TheCriminalBar
cause drown in a convenient well of silence &
Our Letter as published in the Guardian today protesting attacks on lawyers- Legal aid matters. Principles matter. Words matter. We stand together against intolerance and ignorance and in defence of our work and our colleagues
#ProudToBeALegalAidLawyer
@LordCFalconer
@seanjonesqc
Did you see the alert from International Association of Women Judges? I circulated it yesterday. It tells of prisoners released from prison & warning judges that they have no one to protect them.The threat is from all sides not just from the Taliban. Women judges are at esp risk
This shows how important it is to call out unacceptable attitudes. You never know how far the aftermath will reach.
@EssexBarrister
spoke out & secured professional support through colleagues
@thebarcouncil
, & now has SC support.Lord Reed knows her name for all the right reasons
Alex
@EssexBarrister
Lord Reed President of Supreme Court about you “Alexandra Wilson is a very gifted young lawyer, an Oxford graduate who has won umpteen scholarships, and for her to be treated like that was extremely disappointing to say the least.”
If anyone is feeling as empty as I am right now then know you aren’t alone - this lecture says much of why we suffer when we strain to do the job our clients need but the system grinds us down as well as them. Ultimately you must put yourself and your loved ones first. Rest up
In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, we recommend an excellent lecture by Professor Jo Delahunty QC (
@JoDQC
) about well-being at The Bar.
Watch here:
Thanks to all who supported this lecture.We need to make the Bar inclusive,not exclusive.We welcome men and women of colour,of any social class, of any sexual orientation & of ability and disability. At least we should do. But we don’t. Not enough. Watch
@seanjonesqc
Saw this poem and thought of your
#Adoption
anniversary ‘they may not have my eyes, they may not have my smile, but they have all my heart ‘ . I’m glad you found one another.
@BarristerSecret
@TheCriminalBar
I wouldn’t ever trespass on my Crim colleagues field of expertise but I am up for taking direction from them precisely because I know how much they do for so many for so little reward. Tell us what you want from non Crim practitioners.We must stand shoulder to shoulder with you
Please support our colleagues
@TheCriminalBar
@TheYoungCBA
. Words of support, I know, are appreciated so keep them coming but if you can spare any funds to help those who have taken this principled stand against then please donate via these links-SUPPORT2022
#StandWithTheCBA
Thank you very much to all of the extremely generous donors to the hardship fund; please can we remind any prospective donors to use the payment reference SUPPORT2022.
.. I feel guilty at going silent when I should be shouting louder & louder for them. Because I can’t do that I want this tweet to be my howl of outrage that can echo over legal Twitter till I come back fighting fit. To all
@TheCriminalBar
- I see you. I respect you. I support you.
Hi legal ‘X’.I took a step back from this forum a while back as I was knackered. I needed to focus on things that really matter-like friends & family & fighting for other families-but that can make you feel invisible as a professional. So when this came out I felt very ‘seen’ 1/3
Just listened to the remarkable Lucy Chapman , Pupil barrister, on
@BBCRadio4
. Setting up a ‘skill swop’ between the advantaged and disadvantaged members of her community. Huge Respect Lucy.
I was interviewed by Charlotte
@ResFamilyLaw
who followed up on a speech I gave last year at their annual conference. This is a conversation opener. We need to be more open about what makes us who we are- because there’s no magic in being normal & a lot of magic in being unique
She wanted me to have the education she was denied by being working class.I stayed on at school post age 16, the 1st in my family to do so.She researched universities for me when my school said I ‘was bright enough to work in a bank but had too much ‘ attitude’ for front of house
Please watch this interview by a remarkable man who is, btw, a superb judge. He is saying publicly what we all know privately. He is to be thanked for his honesty and the service he tries to deliver in our family court rooms against depressing odds and chronic lack of investment
STARTING NOW 📺
@BBCOne
: Would you be able to represent yourself in court? Well, you MIGHT have to. Since the cuts to legal aid in 2013, there has been a dramatic rise in the people going into a courtroom without a lawyer
#LegalAid
This affects up to 80,000 kids in state ‘care’.You can’t take short cuts with child protection any time, let alone is times of home stress & isolation.Safeguarding Regulations do what they say: regulate placement/safeguard kids. They aren’t optional extras
#mypathtolaw
child of single parent,comp sch,1st to stay in education beyond15, careers advised I cd work in bank but not front of house as had 'attitude',Uni not suggested
@StAnnesCollege
oxford took a chance on me: 'attitude' got me paid pupillage as 2nd year u/grad:no £ no Bar.
If you feel helpless- Act- donate. Our Afghani citizens are arriving in the UK with the bare minimum. All they could take on a plane & will arrive with little or no access to food or other essentials. Help us raise £215,000 to fund urgent support:
A properly funded criminal bar is not a luxury: It is a necessity. It maintains the Fairness of the criminal justice system that we respect and seek to uphold. Legal aid underpins equality of representation. I support my colleagues
@TheCriminalBar
@CrowdJustice
@YLALawyers
.Do u?
Thankyou to
@zoe_dels
for calling this despicable slur out (Read the thread) We spent over 2 years investigating the cause of 96 deaths(now 97)-the jury returned verdicts of unlawful killing.The fans were exonerated.The families had fought for 25 years for justice.They still are
this also shows how fucking deep The S*n's smear campaign and coverup (helping to conceal the police's corruption), runs in the national consciousness. How many other people assume the tragedy was down to 'drunk fans' rather than police incompetence, corruption, and cruelty?
Thank you to Sam Townend KC for taking the lead on this - In response to media reports about membership of the Garrick Club
@thebarcouncil
has issued this statement- “At the heart of the Bar Council's work, as the representative body for all barristers in England & Wales, is ..
Afghan Women Judges: if you feel helpless-act-donate! The IAWJ have set up a fund for translation, interpretation, logistical & administrative support to provide direct aid to our sister judges & their families in Afghanistan. Link here . Retweet please
The International Society of Women Judges are deeply concerned about the safety of their sister judges in Afghanistan ans have asked for all the publicity we can get asking the government for humanitarian support to protect them. Women judges are seen as an especial threat
@BarristerSecret
2/2 ie)the experiences of
@EssexBarrister
who then spoke up to gave a voice to those who have experienced such unacceptable everyday racism & now this article-I thank my lucky stars that we have the likes of Alexandra &
@BarristerSecret
to expose ignorance & call it out. Respect
@gardencourtlaw
We have supported an under funded , broken, ‘ justice’ system in crime & family through pro bono work for too long & I,for one, am tired of bearing the blunt of peoples disaffection & pain when I can’t do enough to help. So here’s to Change. It cannot come soon enough
Thread I am delighted & honoured to have been appointed as Emeritus Gresham Professor of Law for life as
@_lesliethomas
takes up the reins as Professor of Law. I welcome him with open arms to Gresham. I am to be made a Fellow and sit on Council
And that ladies and gentlemen him/ her / she / he is a wrap! Thankyou to
@GreshamCollege
and all you fabulous people for supporting me over my tenure. You have been inspirational. Onwards and upwards. Do good. Don’t delegate the duty to act.
I was diagnosed with ICD-11, 6AO5.2 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Presentation (symptoms of inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity). Something long suspected by my family. It’s not a burden. It explains how I function in my job- & I do my job darn well
Too young to be evacuated they survived the blitz. My mum: Pauline Delahunty gave birth alone save a midwife in the ‘unmarried mothers ward’, permitted no visitors. Married but my father had left us while she was carrying me to live with his mistress.The shame was my mums to bear
The
@BarCouncil
well being survey- This is so depressing familiar- year on year we are told wellbeing is important, our work is valued & we are valued- but it doesn’t, it isn’t & we aren’t. Who am I talking about? Family & Crim, women, ethic minorities ..
@RichieG_LFC
I felt embraced by Liverpool during the Hillsborough inquests. Football was never the same afterwards and the Fans got into my heart.This epitomises all that is good about your city and your sport. Compassion matters "
‘Covid-19 remote hearings have been a successful emergency measure but not must not become the settled norm" says McDonald J ‘Family law is concerned, at its heart, with the human condition’. I could not agree more. Full text of speech here:
‘ Prison guards, but not mother, get counselling after baby dies in cell ‘This is barbaric-abandoned in her cell, this teenage mother had to bite off the umbilical cord. Read the whole article.Share it. Inhumane. Don’t let coverage get drowned by petrol Qs
Thread. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.A child’s life cut short by cruelty. I was interviewed by
@BBCNewsnight
by
@mpolachowska
on Friday for the programme devoted to the cruel death of Arthur.I said don’t blame the system ,that’s just kicking the ball into the long grass-it’s not valued
Please join us-women now make up 50% of Old Bailey judges.That should not be remarkable but it is a percentage few other courts of such seniority can match. Without the example of Rose Heilbron QC that may not have happened.She was the first-her legacy ensured she wasn’t the last
Join us TOMORROW to celebrate 50 years of women judges at the Old Bailey!🎉
A unique chance to hear stories first-hand of pioneer Rose Heilbron QC - including from her daughter Hilary Heilbron QC. Not to be missed!
Wed 26 Jan, 6:30-8pm
Free & Online
🎟️
To anyone I’ve missed sending a personal message of pupillage ‘congrats ‘or ‘don’t despair’ message to since this afternoon. I’m sorry. I greeted my son for the first time in months & I’ve put sabbatical intent into effect by focusing on home and heart &-btw-my heart is burstin:)
To those who applied for pupillage and got it: you are awesome. To those who applied for pupillage and didn’t get it: you are awesome.Whatever news you got today DON’T compare yourselves to others. Carry on being you. To get this far you will already be someone rather special
This is an extraordinarily short sighted decision to close a resource that has been shown to make a real difference to children’s futures by reuniting families as well as saving taxpayers money through reduced state care costs. FDAC works.