Britain is a country with a Supreme Court full of public school and Oxbridge educated old men with no room for more women

 

This is the 68 year old Lady Justice Hale, the only woman on the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land and the most senior female judge in British history. She has called for the appointment of another female judge to Britain's highest court before she retires, whenever that might be.
The good Lady, the Deputy President of the Court, speaking at the start of the legal year, said :
"While I am flattered and proud to have been the first woman appointed as a law lord in 2004 I do not want to be the last. I am disappointed that in the 10 years since I was appointed not one among the 13 subsequent appointments to this court has been a woman. Things are improving in the lower ranks of the judiciary, but regrettably not yet up here. I do not think I am alone in thinking that diversity of many kinds on the bench is important for a great many reasons."

Referring, no doubt, to the narrow social class from which the old men with whom she rubs shoulders on the Supreme Court were drawn, she said that in a democracy, it was important that rights and responsibilities be decided by a Judiciary more reflective of society as a whole "and not just a very small section of it. So I do look forward to a more diverse future eventually, but hopefully before I retire."

Brenda was born in Yorkshire where her parents became headteachers and she was educated the state funded, Richmond High School for Girls and then at Girton College, University of Cambridge where she read Law and graduated with a starred first and top of her class.

So who are the other old men who serve with Brenda ?


First is 65 year old Lord Neuberger, the President of the Court, who was educated at the Independent Westminster School and then studied chemistry at Christ Church, University of Oxford.
 
Lord Mance is 70 years old and attended Charterhouse Boys' boarding school and then University College, the University of Oxford.

Lord Kerr is 65 years old and was educated at St Colman’s College, Newry, Northern Ireland and read law at Queen’s University, Belfast. 

 

Lord Clarke who is 70 years old studied economics and law at King's College, the University of Cambridge.   

Lord Wilson, 68 years old read jurisprudence at Worcester College, University of Oxford.

Lord Sumption is 65 years old and was educated at Eton College, independent boys' school and Magdalen College, University of Oxford.
   
Lord Reed at the of 57, the boy among the other old men, was educated at the independent George Watson's College in Edinburgh and the law at the University of Edinburgh.

Lord Carnwath is 68 and was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, the University of Cambridge.

Lord Hughes is 65 years old and was educated at Tettenhall College and Van Mildert College, the Unviersity of Durham.

Lord Toulson is 67 years old and was educated at Mill Hill School to which he won the top scholarship for his year and was one of the most talented pupils, leaving at 16 to study at Jesus College, the University of Cambridge.

Lord Hodge, a mere 60 years old was educated at Croftinloan School, an independent boarding school in Perthshire and later Corpus Christi College, the University of Cambridge.

 

Question :

So will our 68 year old lady judge have a female companion on the Supreme Court and see its social base broaden from the essential boys' public school and Oxbridge educated old men with a collective age of 720 years before she retires ?

 

Answer :

This is Britain in 2013 : of course not !