Baroness Hale of Richmond

Baroness Hale of Richmond is a retired senior British judge who served as the first female President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 2004, she became a founding Justice of the new Supreme Court in 2009, later serving as its Deputy President and then President from 2017 to 2020. Renowned for her pioneering career and commitment to social justice, her judgments in landmark cases concerning human rights, family law, and constitutional principles have had a profound impact on British law.

Early life and education

Brenda Marjorie Hale was born in Leeds and grew up in Richmond, attending the local grammar school. She read law at Girton College, Cambridge, where she graduated at the top of her class in 1966, achieving a rare starred first. She subsequently completed a postgraduate degree at the University of Manchester, lecturing there while qualifying as a barrister through the Council of Legal Education.

Legal career and academic work

Hale began her career as an academic at the University of Manchester, becoming a professor of law in 1986. She specialised in family law and social welfare law, serving as a member of the Law Commission from 1984 to 1993, where she was instrumental in reforming legislation on children's rights and mental capacity. Her scholarly work, including co-authoring the seminal textbook The Family, Law and Society, established her as a leading authority and advocate for a more principled, humanistic approach to the law.

Judicial career

Appointed a High Court judge in 1994, she was assigned to the Family Division and received the customary damehood (DBE). In 1999, she was promoted to the Court of Appeal, becoming the second woman to sit in that court after Baroness Butler-Sloss. Her elevation to the House of Lords as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 2004 made her the first woman ever to serve as a Law Lord.

President of the Supreme Court

Upon the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009, Hale became one of its twelve inaugural Justices. She was appointed Deputy President in 2013 under Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury. In September 2017, she was appointed President, succeeding Lord Neuberger and making history as the first woman to lead the United Kingdom's highest court. Her tenure included presiding over the seminal case of R (Miller) v The Prime Minister in 2019.

Notable judgments and legal philosophy

Hale authored many landmark judgments, often with a focus on fairness and the protection of vulnerable individuals. Key opinions include Radmacher v Granatino on prenuptial agreements, P v Cheshire West and Chester Council on the deprivation of liberty of people with disabilities, and R (on the application of A) v Secretary of State for Health concerning abortion rights in Northern Ireland. Her most famous judgment was the unanimous ruling in R (Miller) v The Prime Minister, which found the prorogation of Parliament in 2019 to be unlawful. Her legal philosophy is characterised by a contextual, principled approach, emphasising the purpose of statutes and the realities of people's lives.

Personal life and honours

She was married to fellow academic John Hoggett from 1968 until their divorce in 1992; they have one daughter. In 1992, she married Julian Farrand, a former Pensions Ombudsman and law professor. Upon her appointment to the House of Lords, she was created a life peer as Baroness Hale of Richmond, of Richmond in the County of North Yorkshire. She is a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) and a Bencher of Gray's Inn. In retirement, she remains an active lecturer and commentator on legal issues. Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:British life peers Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Category:Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge Category:Academics of the University of Manchester