Out of the Archive Talk- Helena Normanton: first woman barrister

Legal pioneer Helena Normanton (1882-1957) was the first woman barrister to practise in England (1922), first woman to lead the prosecution in a murder trial, and (alongside Rose Heilbron) first woman appointed King’s Counsel. A tireless campaigner on marriage law reform, she became the first British woman to be issued with a passport in her maiden name. She was also a prolific journalist, who wrote regularly for Good Housekeeping on subjects ranging from thrift and snobbery to dogs and old ladies.

Judith Bourne is a senior lecturer in law at London Metropolitan University, a barrister and author of Women & Law