Red Lion Chambers hosted a special event celebrating 100 years of Women in Law with a distinguished panel of 10 speakers on Wednesday 20 November at Dechert in London.
Speakers included HHJ Angela Rafferty QC, Sara Lawson QC, Caroline Black, Joanna Hardy, Marilyn Vitte, Zoe Chapman, Briony Clarke, Natasha Shotunde and Dr. Virginia Fitzpatrick-Swallow. The event explored the journeys of the 10 individuals across the Criminal Justice System with a video -interview of Dame Linda Dobbs recounting her story of being appointed the first non-white Judge in the UK.
The event which saw 140 guests in attendance across the legal sector was supported by the First 100 years campaign with a photo-exhibition and preview of new book “FIRST- 100 years of Women in Law”.
2019 marks the Centenary since the Sex Disqualification Act was passed, paving the way for women to finally practise law. The significant milestone supported the rights of women to fulfil their potential and gain ownership over their lives and futures. Once the 1919 Act had passed, intelligent and inspirational women seized the opportunity which they had so long been denied, to qualify and practice in law.
Joint Head of Red Lion Chambers Gillian Jones QC who co-chaired the discussion with Chris Paxton QC said:
“Our Centenary panel discussion event highlighted the importance of women’s contribution to law and the legal profession. We were delighted to hear from such an impressive and inspiring group of speakers and learn about their experiences and challenges in their choice of career.”
Red Lion Chambers continues to promote and champion women at the Bar. RLC’s Equality and Diversity Statistics of 2019 highlighted that 38% of members were women with QC’s representing 35% compared to 15.8% at the Bar. The proportion of female pupils representing Chambers membership was 75% compared to 50% across the Bar.