Rt Hon the Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE will be delivering this year’s Romanes lecture, entitled “Law in a time of crisis”, online on 25th November at 1pm. She will also be answering questions from students.
The Romanes Lecture is a renowned public address, usually given annually at the Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre. Founded by George Romanes, the series has continued annually since 1892. Oxford University’s Vice-Chancellor invites high profile figures from the arts, science or literature. Previous notable speakers have included Gordon Brown (2009), and Hillary Clinton (2018).
Lady Hale was until January this year, the President of the UK Supreme Court, the UK’s highest court. She has been a pioneer for women in the law profession. In 1994, Hale became the first woman to be a Law Commissioner. In 1999, she was the second woman to be promoted to the Court of Appeals. In 2004, Hale was pronounced the first (and only) woman Law Lord, and with the creation of the Supreme Court in 2009, she became the first female Supreme Court Justice. Finally, in 2017, she became the first female President of the UK Supreme Court.
While a Law Commissioner, she promoted legal reform. Hale drove the creation of the Children Act 1989, which requires that government and other public bodies prioritise the welfare of children in their decision making.
One Oxford law student spoke in anticipation of Hale’s lecture: “As a woman studying law, Lady Hale is a massive inspiration to me. To be able to hear her reflections on her experiences as President of the Supreme Court and her legal career is an invaluable opportunity and I’m sure will shape the kind of woman and lawyer I want to become.”
Students can sign up for the lecture here.
Image credit: Prosthetic Head / Wikimedia Commons
