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

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
19 November 2021
Issue: 7957 / Categories: Features , Profession
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"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

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