header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
19 November 2021
Issue: 7957 / Categories: Features , Profession
printer mail-detail

Book review: Spider Woman: A Life—by the former President of the Supreme Court

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
"A wonderful story. Wonderfully gifted, Lady Hale saw her opportunities and she took them. She has made a difference and inspired others to do so too"

Author: Lady Hale

Publisher: Bodley Head

ISBN: 9781847926593

RRP: £20

At the beginning of this book it looked like being a Denning fairy story: a bright little girl living by the village green in a little village in rural north Yorkshire ended up as President of the Supreme Court. But although it had the elements of a fairy story, it was all true. Top law student at Cambridge; quality law academic at Manchester; joint author of book on Women and the Law (very significant); law professor; getting going at the Bar; Law Commissioner, fundamentally reforming child law; judge, Court of Appeal, House of Lords and Supreme Court (first woman ever), President! If there ever was a ‘stop Brenda’ (henceforth she is Brenda) campaign it signally failed. And she certainly stopped Boris in his tracks in Parliament.

Brenda is first

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

Nikki Bowker, head of dispute resolution at Devonshires, on career resilience, diversity in law and channelling Elle Woods when the pressure is on

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team

DWF—Chris Air

DWF—Chris Air

Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment

NEWS
Read All
King sets out Starmer’s legislative agenda
The government will aim to pass legislation banning leasehold for new flats and capping ground rent, introducing non-compulsory digital ID and creating a ‘duty of candour’ for public servants (also known as the Hillsborough law) in the next Parliament
Decision on divorce & domicile

An Italian financier has lost his bid to block his Australian wife from filing divorce papers in England on the basis it was no longer her domicile of choice

Early disclosure has not met its goals, lawyers say
Reforms to the disclosure regime in the business and property courts have not achieved their objectives, lawyers have warned
Guarding courts from the hazards of AI
The Law Society has urged ministers to hold a public consultation on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the justice system as a whole
Reforms to inquest fees under consultation
Ministers have proposed bringing inquest work under a single fee scheme for legal help and advocacy legal aid work
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll