Black Legal Trailblazers

Black Legal Trailblazers

To mark Black History Month we are celebrating the achievements and contributions of the first Black legal professionals.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=324663

1818 - Nathaniel Wells First Black Justice of the Peace First Black Sheriff of Monmouthshire, 1818

Nathaniel Wells was born in 1779 on a plantation on St Christopher Island (St Kitts). His father William Wells, was a Welsh merchant, and plantation and slave owner, and his mother was an enslaved woman, named Juggy, later Joardine Wells. In 1783, Nathaniel was freed by his father and he was sent to England to be educated.

He became the Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of Monmouthshire, a Justice of the Peace, a lieutenant in the Yeoman Calvary of Gloucester and Monmouth, and the churchwarden of St Arvans.

Henry organised the first Pan-African Conference at Westminster Hall, London in 1900. The conference was attended by eminent Black activists from all over the world who believed social justice was for everybody.

Henry Sylvester Williams Founding member of the African Association (Pan-African Association)

The conference implemented the ‘Address to the Nations of the World’. It appealed to European Nations and the United States to acknowledge and protect the rights of people of African descent, to campaign against racism, and grant colonies in Africa and the West Indies the right to self-government.

Stella was also a founding member of the League of Coloured Peoples; a multi-racial civil rights organisation aimed to promote the rights and interests of African, Asian and Caribbean minorities in Britain and the Commonwealth. She criticised imperial approaches to African problems without consultation of local people, in her words,

Stella Thomas The first Black African woman to be called to the Bar, 1933

“Progress shall come from real understanding and cooperation, not by your dictating to African nations. We do not need you to send anthropologists to advise on development.

We Africans with education, are able to develop our own systems and determine what is best for us.”

After initially being told by a bigoted senior barrister to go back to “Bongo-Bongo land”, Tunji seemed to have enjoyed smooth progress on the way to becoming a part-time crown court judge. He tended to hand high-profile cases over to his juniors to avoid race becoming an issue in court.

Tunji Sowande First Black Head of Chambers, 1968 First Black Deputy Circuit Judge, 1978

Ms Boaitey’s journey to the Bar as a Black woman in the 1980s involved overcoming prejudice both on the Bench and among members of the legal profession. 12 Square is currently one of the leading chambers in human rights, immigration and public law.

Charlotte BoaiteyKwarteng Only Black woman to head her own chambers (took over from Mavis Gibson), 1984

Charlotte was also appointed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to make an enquiry into racism in connection with the Grenfell Tower tragedy. She completed the enquiry in February 2020.

Leonard was a part-time judge of the crown court between 1989-2000 and a bencher of the Inner Temple. He was a barrister adviser to the Scarman inquiry into the Brixton riots and was counsel in many murder trials where racism was an element.

Leonard Woodley The first African Caribbean barrister in Britain to become a Queen’s Counsel, 1988

Len’s quiet, unshowy dedication to the improvement of civil liberties extended to the securing of equal opportunities for young Black and Asian lawyers, and at the Inner Temple he established a scholarship in his name to that end. Notable Cases included Mangrove Trial, Bristol Riot, Brixton Riot and the Scarman Inquiry.

Dr John Anthony Roberts First person of African ancestry to be made a Queen’s Counsel in England and Wales, 1988

Dr Roberts has achieved many firsts in his long career. He was the first known person of African ancestry to be the Head of his Chambers in England and Wales, 1975. The first person of African ancestry to be made a Recorder of the Crown Court in England and Wales. The first person of African ancestry to be appointed by the British Government as a High Court Judge of the Supreme Courts of the British Virgin Islands, and Anguilla, British West Indies.

When John set up his own Chambers, he ensured that it was fully representative with Asian, white and African and Caribbean members.

On her first day sitting as judge at Harrow Crown Court, Patricia was stopped by the security guard at the gate of the car park who enquired “What are you doing here. Are you the cleaner, a social worker, probation officer?”

Patricia pointed at the parking permit on her windscreen and said, “I am the Judge.”

Patricia Dangor First Black Circuit Judge, 1999

Throughout her career Patricia served on many committees set up to address racial inequality across the legal profession to open routes for those from ethnic minority backgrounds. While there are now more ethnic minorities lawyers, black judges are still few and far between.

Gifty Edila First Black Director of Law in a council in England and Wales

At 12 years of age Gifty knew she wanted to make a difference, and strive towards a world of fairness and justice, ultimately leading her to pursue a career as a barrister. Although, the Race Relations Act (1965) had been passed a decade before she went to university the number of Black women within the legal profession at the time was still minimal. There was only 10% of women working within the sector, and the proportion of Black women was even less.

After retiring in 2016, Gifty was the first Black woman in the UK to write a book about her career. ‘Defying Expectations’ explores the challenges she faced and how much harder she had to work, in order to excel in her chosen career path.

Dame Linda Dobbs First Black High Court judge, 2004

She has been named in the past as one of Britain’s most powerful Black women and one of the 100 Great Black Britons. At the Bar she was a member of, and chaired, a number of committees, including the Race Relations, Equal Opportunities, International, Professional Conduct and Professional Standard Committees.

In 2003 she became the Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association where she set up its first Equality and Diversity sub-committee.

“I found out that my clerk would sometimes tippex my name out and give the brief to one of the male pupils.”

Born in Ghana, Barbara came to school in England, aged six. She studied philosophy at the University of Wales, Swansea, before training to be a barrister. She was called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1984 and was appointed as a Recorder in 2003.

Barbara Mensah The first Circuit Judge of African origin, 2005

She has also worked in the private sector and joined the Judiciary after sitting on a Financial Services Tribunal. Since 2003 Patricia has been Senior Immigration Judge, for the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (formerly Vice President, Immigration Appeal Tribunal).

Born in Dominica, Baroness Scotland grew up in east London. She became both the youngest and first Black woman to be appointed a Queen's Counsel. She was the first Black woman to be appointed Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder and Master of Middle Temple. She is the second Secretary-General from the Caribbean and the first woman to hold the post.

Baroness Scotland First Black woman to be appointed Queen’s Counsel, 1991 First woman to serve as HM Attorney General, 2007 - 2010

She lead a major reform of the British criminal justice system, including the introduction of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act. Appointed Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations in 2015, another first. She is working to encourage development, climate change reversal and democracy in the 53 Commonwealth countries.

Tunde Okewale’s career path is a remarkable inspiration to any aspiring barrister. Growing up on a Hackney Council Estate he was the first person to attend University when he read law at London Metropolitan University whilst studying law he was also holding down several jobs.

Dr Tunde Okewale MBE Youngest member of the Inner Temple to be elected as a Bencher, 2007

A charity From Boyhood to Manhood provided him with a scholarship which enabled him to pay for Bar School. He remains a trustee and Director for the charity.

In 2008 Grace was awarded an OBE in recognition for her work within the Crown Prosecution Service. The University of Hertfordshire awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2017, in recognition for her contribution to the justice and legal system.

Grace Ononiwu First African Caribbean Chief Crown Prosecutor, 2009

She was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019 for services to Law and Order. In 2022 Hertfordshire University named a building in her honour.

Professor Thomas has worked on a number of high-profile inquests including: the Hillsborough disaster, the Mark Duggan inquest, and the Grenfell Pubic Enquiry.

Professor Leslie Thomas QC The first Black Professor of Law in Gresham College's 400 year history

He has achieved numerous accolades. He became one of a small number of Black barristers to make the upper ranks of the legal profession as Queen's Counsel. He was named Legal Aid Barrister of the Year in 2012. Kingston University awarded him an honorary degree in recognition of his outstanding contribution to civil rights.

“Racism and discriminatory behaviours pervade all levels of society and our legal system is not immune from the same. I have experienced it many times in my career.”

These Black legal professionals have championed change and equality in the legal profession and justice system but, as the figures below demonstrate, diversity is still an issue.

As at 1 April 2021, Black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals together constituted: 15% of Barristers 18% of Solicitors 14% of Chartered Legal Executives 1% of Judges were from Black backgrounds