13/10/2021
Celebrating Black History Month
As part of Black History Month I thought I would share some of the important figures within the legal world and share part of their story.
Christian Frederick Cole
Oxford University, in September 1879, he became the first black African member of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. In 1883, Frederick Cole was finally called to the bar, as the first African Barrister to practice Law in English Courts.
Dame Linda Dobbs
In October 2004, The Hon. Dame Linda Dobbs DBE became the first non-white high court judge to be appointed in the UK. She has been named amongst Britain’s most powerful black women.
Whilst at the bar, she was a member of a number of committees, including the Race Relations, Equal Opportunities, International, Professional Conduct and Professional Standard Committees. She also set up the first Equality and Diversity sub-committee at the Criminal Bar Association,
Tunji Sowande
The first black person to gain tenancy. He was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn and became the first black barrister to practice in England when he was offered a tenancy at 3 Kings Bench Walk.
Tunji Sowande developed a distinguished practice at the Criminal Bar, progressing rapidly and in 1968 he became the first black head of chambers and the first black Deputy Circuit Judge in 1978. He was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court from where he retired in or around 1989.
The RT Hon Patricia Scotland QC
The first black woman to be appointed a Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 1991. At the age of 35 she was also the youngest woman ever to be made a QC.
The first black woman appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder and Master of Middle Temple. She joined the House of Lords in 1997 as Baroness Scotland of Asthal and went on to serve as a minister in the Foreign Office, Home Office and Lord Chancellor’s Department.
Baroness Scotland became the first woman to hold the post of appointed Attorney General in 2007, thereby making her the first woman to fill the role since it was created in 1315. She then went on to found the Eliminate Domestic Violence Global Foundation in 2011 and also to become the sixth Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, taking office on 1 April 2016 – making her the first woman to also hold this post.
Trevor Sterling
This year he made history as the first black senior partner to be elected at a UK top 100 law firm. He hopes that new routes into the legal profession will see more diversity in the future.
Equality and diversity is a year long issue and although there has been an increase in black lawyers, (both male and female) statistics from the Solicitor Regulation Authority show that the top jobs and firms still need more diversity.
