Helena Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws
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Helena Ann Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, KC,
FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
, HonFRSE (born 12 May 1950), is a Scottish barrister, broadcaster, and Labour member of the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
. She was Principal of
Mansfield College, Oxford Mansfield College, Oxford is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. The college was founded in Birmingham in 1838 as a college for Nonconformist students. It moved to Oxford in 1886 and was renamed Man ...
, from 2011 to 2018.


Early life and education

Kennedy was born on 12 May 1950 in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland, one of the four daughters of Mary Veronica (née Jones) and Joshua Patrick. Her parents were committed Labour activists and devoutly
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
. Her father, a printer with the '' Daily Record'', was a trade union official. She attended
Holyrood Secondary School ("By this conquer!") , established = 1936 , closed = , type = Comprehensive , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic , president = , head_name = , head ...
in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, where she was appointed Head Girl. She studied law at the Council of Legal Education in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.


Legal career

In 1972, Kennedy was called to the bar at
Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...
. Among her many cases, Kennedy acted as junior counsel for child murderer Myra Hindley during her 1974 trial for plotting to escape from
Holloway Prison HM Prison Holloway was a closed category prison for adult women and young offenders in Holloway, London, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. It was the largest women's prison in western Europe, until its closure in 2016. Histor ...
.


Politics

Kennedy rebels against her party whip in the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
more frequently than any other Labour Peer, having a dissent rate of 33.3%. She was Chair of
Charter 88 Charter 88 was a British pressure group that advocated constitutional and electoral reform and owes its origins to the lack of a written constitution. It began as a special edition of the ''New Statesman'' magazine in 1988 and it took its name ...
(1992–1997) and is closely affiliated to the educational charity
Common Purpose The doctrine of common purpose, common design, joint enterprise, joint criminal enterprise or parasitic accessory liability is a common law legal doctrine that imputes criminal liability to the participants in a criminal enterprise for all reaso ...
. In 2020, she worked with the Conservative MP
Iain Duncan Smith Sir George Iain Duncan Smith (born George Ian Duncan Smith; 9 April 1954), often referred to by his initials IDS, is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was ...
and democracy activist
Luke de Pulford Luke John de Pulford () is a human rights campaigner, particularly in the areas of modern slavery and human rights abuses in China. De Pulford is director and co-Founder of the London-based anti-slavery charityArise He coordinates the Inter-Parl ...
to create the global pressure group
Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) is an international, cross-party alliance of parliamentarians from democratic countries focused on relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), and specifically, the Chinese Communist Party ...
. In March 2021, China placed sanctions on her. The sanctions were condemned by the Prime Minister and led the Foreign Secretary to summon the Chinese ambassador.


Academia

Kennedy became the first Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, serving from 1994 to 2001. Kennedy was elected principal of Mansfield College,
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
in July 2010 and served from September 2011. She retired in 2018 and became Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University on 26 July 2018.


Personal life

From 1978 to 1984 she lived with the actor Iain Mitchell, and together they had a son. In 1986, Kennedy married Iain Louis Hutchison, a surgeon, with whom she has a daughter and a son. Kennedy regularly attends Mass and professes that her Roman Catholicism "remains very much part of who I am", even though she eschews its more traditional values.


Honours

She has received numerous academic awards, including: *
Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...
of the Royal Society of Arts (
FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
) * Fellow of the
City and Guilds of London Institute The City and Guilds of London Institute is an educational organisation in the United Kingdom. Founded on 11 November 1878 by the City of London and 16 livery companies – to develop a national system of technical education, the institute has ...
(FCGI) * Member of the (
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
) * Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2005 * Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2005 * Honorary Fellow, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies * Honorary Fellow,
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
, 2010 * Honorary Fellow,
School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury a ...
(SOAS), 2011 * Honorary Doctorate of Law, Plymouth University, 2012 * Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (HonFRSE), 2014 * She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2021.


Broadcasting

* Creator: ''Blind Justice'', BBC TV, 1987 * Presenter: ''Heart of the Matter'', BBC TV, 1987 * '' After Dark'', Channel 4 and BBC4, 1987–2003 ** She presented many editions of this series, including the "drunk Oliver Reed" episode, where the actor verbally insulted and attempted to kiss feminist
Kate Millett Katherine Murray Millett (September 14, 1934 – September 6, 2017) was an American feminist writer, educator, artist, and activist. She attended Oxford University and was the first American woman to be awarded a degree with first-class honors ...
* Presenter: ''Raw Deal on Medical Negligence'', BBC TV, 1989 * Presenter: ''The Trial of 'Lady Chatterley's Lover, BBC Radio 4, 1990 * Presenter: ''Time Gentlemen, Please'', BBC Scotland, 1994 (Winner, Television Programme Award category, 1994 Industrial Journalism Awards) * Commissioner, BAFTA Inquiry into the future of the BBC, 1990


Appointments

* President, Helena Kennedy Foundation * President of the Board the Governors of the
School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury a ...
(SOAS) * President,
Women of the Year Lunch The Women of the Year Lunch, later known as the Women of the Year Lunch and Awards (WOYLA), is an annual charity lunch for women achievers. The inaugural lunch was held on 29 September 1955 at the Savoy Hotel, and raised money for the Greater Lo ...
(2010–2015) * Chair,
JUSTICE Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
* Chair of the Board of Governors for the United World College of the Atlantic * President,
Medical Aid for Palestinians Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charity that offers medical services in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon, and advocates for Palestinians' rights to health and dignity. It is in special consultative status with ECOSOC since 2002. A ...
* Patron, Burma Campaign UK, the London-based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
* Member of the Board of
Independent News and Media Mediahuis Ireland (formally Independent News and Media (INM) )) is a media organisation that is based in Dublin and publishes national daily newspapers, Sunday newspapers, regional newspapers and operates multiple websites including Independent. ...
* Trustee,
KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...
Foundation * Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University (1994–2001) * Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University (appointed in 2018) * Chair,
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
(1998–2004) * Chair,
Human Genetics Commission The Human Genetics Commission (HGC) was an advisory non-departmental public body that advised the UK government on the ethical and social aspects of genetics. This included genetic testing, cloning and other aspects of molecular medicine. The Comm ...
(1998–2007) * President of the National Children's Bureau (1998–2005) * Kennedy chaired the Power Commission (November 2005 – March 2006), which examined the problem of democratic disengagement in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. A report was produced which highlighted the "Myth of Apathy" and the lack of political engagement * Chair of Power 2010, which aimed to carry forward the concepts behind the Power Commission into the
UK 2010 General Election The 2010 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 6 May 2010, with 45,597,461 registered voters entitled to vote to elect members to the House of Commons. The election took place in 650 constituencies across the United Kingdom unde ...
* Member of the World Bank Institute's External Advisory Council * Member of the board of the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
* Member of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom *Vice-president of the Haldane Society * Vice-president of the Association of Women Barristers * Patron, London International Festival of Theatrebr>liftfestival.com
* Patron, Institute for Learning (IfL) http://www.ifl.ac.uk * Patron,
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
* Patron, UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders * Patron, Debt Doctors Foundation UK (DD-UK) * Patron, Tower Hamlets Summer University * Patron
Rights Watch (UK)
* Patron of SafeHands for Mothers, a UK-based charity whose mission is to improve maternal and newborn health by harnessing the power of the visual, through the production of films. * Chair,
Howard League The Howard League for Penal Reform is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. It was founded as the Howard Association in 1866 and changed its name in 1921, ...
's Commission of Inquiry into Violence in Penal Institutions for Young People (the final report, ''Banged Up, Beaten Up, Cutting Up'', published in 1995) * Chair,
Reading Borough Council Reading Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. Berkshire is purely a ceremonia ...
's Commission of Inquiry into the health, environmental and safety aspects of the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston (final report ''Secrecy versus Safety'', published in 1994) * Chair, Royal Colleges of Pathologists' and of Pædiatrics' Inquiry into Sudden Infant Death (producing a protocol for the investigation of such deaths in 2004) * Member of the Foreign Policy Centre's Advisory Council * Formerly UK member of the International Bar Association's Task Force on Terrorism * As Commissioner of the National Commission for Education, she chaired a committee on widening participation in further education and the commission's report, ''Learning Works'', published in 1997. * Chair, Booker Prize Foundation (2015–2020) * Vice President of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (from 2017)


Civic honours

* Created a life peer, as Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, of
Cathcart Cathcart ( sco, Kithcart, gd, Coille Chart)
 is an are ...
in the City of
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
on 27 October 1997. *
Grand Cross Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand ...
of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking ...
on 23 March 2004.Sitio web del Quirinal
/ref> * Commander of the Order of Academic Palms (2006).


Bibliography

* ''Eve was Framed: Women and British Justice'', 1993; * ''Just Law: The changing face of justice and why it matters to us'', 2004; *''Eve Was Shamed: How British Justice Is Failing Women,'' 2018; *''Misjustice: How British Law is Failing Women,'' 2019;


References


External links


''Debrett's People of Today''Helena Kennedy's home pagePower Commission

Helena Kennedy Foundation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Helena 1950 births Living people Scottish people of Irish descent Lawyers from Glasgow Scottish Roman Catholics Labour Party (UK) life peers Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II People associated with Oxford Brookes University People associated with SOAS University of London Commandeurs of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Trustees of the British Museum BBC television presenters People educated at Holyrood Secondary School Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic British King's Counsel British legal writers Women academic administrators People of the British Council Chancellors of Sheffield Hallam University Principals of Mansfield College, Oxford Scottish women lawyers Honorary Fellows of the British Academy BBC 100 Women