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
Constantine Law—Anita Vadgama

Constantine Law—Anita Vadgama

New senior partner hire at consultant-led employment / regulatory law firm

Ward Hadaway—Emma Swann & Jill Donabie

Ward Hadaway—Emma Swann & Jill Donabie

Firm adds two partners to growing education practice

mfg Solicitors—Lauren Collins, Emily Stancer & Sara Southall

mfg Solicitors—Lauren Collins, Emily Stancer & Sara Southall

Trio of newly qualified solicitors strengthens Worcester office law firm

NEWS
Read All
Charities Appeals Supplement: June 2026
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
Treasury insists shift in AML supervision will be smooth
The treasury has sought to reassure the legal profession over concerns about cost, bureaucracy and independence when the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) takes over regulation of anti-money laundering compliance
Clients putting pressure on ethics at the Bar
One out of two barristers has come under pressure from clients to act unethically, according to the results of this year’s Barristers’ Working Lives survey
Bitter medicine for pharma giants
The Court of Appeal has held the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) was wrong to set aside a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) decision on unfair pricing of phenytoin, an epilepsy drug
Six-month employee rights roll out
A flagship employment law reform is due to come into effect on 1 July, extending unfair dismissal rights to employees after six months in their job instead of two years
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll