Events

Over a century ago, Ivy Williams became the first woman admitted to the Bar of England and Wales.

With the passing of the Sex Disqualification (Removal Act) on 23 December 1919, which allowed women to join the professions she was able to finally achieve her dream. Ivy Williams was admitted to The Inner Temple on 26 January 1920 with the sponsorship of Sir John Simon. On 10 May 1922, Ivy Williams became the first woman admitted to the Bar of England and Wales.

Armed with five degrees, including two masters and a doctorate, she topped her bar examinations.

Her admission was described at the time as "one of the most memorable days in the long annals of the legal profession".

Her practice was focused around access to justice, offering low cost and pro bono services to those who otherwise would not have access to a lawyer. Though some say she did not practice, the evidence does point that she did.

An accomplished academic, she taught at Oxford University for 25 years, and in 1930 served as the UK delegate to the Hague conference for the Codification of International Law.

She died at her Oxford home on 18 February 1966. Her achievements and those of many thousands of women who have followed her lead to be called to the Bar have belied the Law Journal’s belief at the time of her Call that the admission of women, ‘was never likely to be justified by any success they will achieve in the field of advocacy’ (Law Journal,57, 1922, 161).

SOURCE: https://www.innertemple.org.uk/news/61491/

Over 100 years ago today, on 10 May 1922, Ivy Williams became the first woman admitted to the Bar of England and Wales.

Armed with five degrees, including two masters and a doctorate, she topped her bar examinations.

Her admission was described at the time as "one of the most memorable days in the long annals of the legal profession".

Her practice was focused around access to justice, offering low cost and pro bono services to those who otherwise would not have access to a lawyer. Though some say she did not practice, the evidence does point that she did.

An accomplished academic, she taught at Oxford University for 25 years, and in 1930 served as the UK delegate to the Hague conference for the Codification of International Law.

As she aged her eyesight declined, so she learned to read Braille and then wrote a Braille primer which was published by the UK Institute for the Blind in 1948.

The Rt Hon Baroness Heather Hallett
DBE PC QC, the first woman to head the Bar of England and Wales and a retired judge of the UK Court of Appeal, described Dr Williams as a hero and:
"If the legal profession, and the judiciary drawn from it, are to continue to command the confidence of the public, they must properly reflect the society they serve, preferably at every level.

"It takes pioneers such as Williams to make this happen.

"I hope there will be a growing and continuing stream of others like her ready to fight the good fight."

LAW WEEK - Justice is a cornerstone to Australian life.

It’s an annual and national event, which aims to foster a better understanding of the roles law and justice play in our society. Let’s celebrate the legal profession, learn from one another and build greater inclusion. #law

IDAHOBIT - Today, 17 May, it is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

The day aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBTIQA+ rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBTIQA+ rights work worldwide. By 2016, the commemorations had taken place in 132 countries across the globe.

IDAHOBIT is a reminder of that day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.

On this day, Pride in Law encourages everyone to come together to:
❤️ Stand for Equality
🧡 Stand for Inclusion
💛 Stand for Belonging
💚 Stand for Respect
💙 Stand for Love
💜 Stand for Pride

#IDAHOBIT #inclusion #lgbt

IDAHOBIT - Today, 17 May, it is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

The day aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBTIQA+ rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBTIQA+ rights work worldwide. By 2016, the commemorations had taken place in 132 countries across the globe.

IDAHOBIT is a reminder of that day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.

On this day, let’s all come together to:
❤️ Stand for Equality
🧡 Stand for Inclusion
💛 Stand for Belonging
💚 Stand for Respect
💙 Stand for Love
💜 Stand for Pride

#IDAHOBIT #inclusion #lgbt

22 May is Harvey Milk Day 🌈

Today would have been Harvey Milk's birthday. #HarveyMilkDay is a day for us to reflect on his important ground-breaking advocacy, movement, and legacy.

❤️💚💛🤍💙💙🤎🖤

On May 22 let’s celebrate the life and legacy of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay politicians in California and a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Elected to the position of city supervisor in San Francisco, he held office for one year before his life was tragically cut short in 1978 by a political rival who opposed Milk’s liberal views. Harvey Milk’s contributions to the cause of equality for all people has been recognized in a number of ways, including the issuance of a stamp with his picture on it, the posthumous awarding of the Medal of Freedom, and the creation of a holiday in his memory. Harvey Milk Day was officially established as a holiday in 2009 when Arnold Schwarzenegger, then governor of California, signed it into law. Although Milk died, his work continues today through the work of the Milk Foundation, founded by his nephew Stuart Milk, in honour of his uncle.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

#lgbt #leadership

TODAY - Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day.

On 24 May, the world celebrates the pansexual and panromantic community. Also know as ‘Pan Visibility Day’ it’s a time not only celebrate but to educate one another on our rainbow community.

To help you do that, here’s three things you should know, share and love 💕 #pride 🌈

1️⃣ The word pansexuality originally comes from Greek. Pan means ‘all’, and is related to words like panorama. Pansexual people aren’t attracted to all other people, but they are attracted to people of all genders. This is different from being attracted to everyone; in the same way that a heterosexual woman will not be attracted to all men and a lesbian woman will not be attracted to all women, pansexual people will experience attraction to specific people and not others.

2️⃣ Pansexuality is different from bisexuality but the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Being bisexual means being attracted to more than one gender, while being pansexual means being attracted to people regardless of gender. Pansexuality and bisexuality are not in conflict. In fact, some bisexual people also identify as pansexual, and vice versa. Pansexuality is included under the bisexual umbrella, which covers anyone who experiences sexual or romantic attraction to more than one gender.

3️⃣ Being pansexual is just one part of who someone is. A pansexual person may also be trans, or disabled, or a person of colour, or all three. Pansexual people come in all ages and sizes and enjoy a range of activities and hobbies.

On pansexual visibility day it’s important to remember that we’re celebrating pansexual people from all backgrounds and all walks of life.

Happy Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day!

#iamenough #youareenough #pansexual #lgbt #panromantic #visibility

On 25 May 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved an update to their International Classification of Diseases list.

The declassified transgender people's gender dysphoria as a disease was an important milestone for all LGBTIQA+ rights. But the road is long and further equality is required for our rainbow community.

Much like the declassification of 'homosexuality' in 1990, it was a signal of hope to many trans people all over the world. But in the 30 years that have passed since being gay was no longer a listed disease, same-sex relationships remain illegal in about 70 countries.

Equality continues, but vigilance is important to achieving a society where we are all accepted.

May 26 is National Sorry Day which remembers and acknowledges the histories and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, those people belonging to “the Stolen Generation”.

National Sorry Day was first observed in 1998 a year after the handing down of the Bringing Them Home Report. This day reminds us, that truth telling, and knowing our history, will help us build the foundations for leaning and doing things differently for a better tomorrow.

Link: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/national-sorry-day-an-important-part-of-healing/

28 May is LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Day.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

The day commenced in 2020 to mark the impact domestic and family violence has on the LGBTIQA+ community.

There’s no pride in domestic violence.

With high levels of domestic violence being experienced within LGBTIQA+ relationships and seriously low levels of reporting, Australia’s LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Day is aiming to turn the tables.

Pride in Law joins with other organisations in standing in solidarity with victims and survivors of all kinds of abuse. We are stronger together.

For more information please visit 👇🏽
http://LGBTIDVAwarenessDay.com

❤️💙🤎🤍🖤💜💚🧡💛

#lgbt+ #domesticviolenceawareness
#LGBTQ #SeenAndBelieved #EndDV #EndDomesticViolence #NotNowNotEver #StopDV #NoMoreSilence #NoMoreViolence

28 May is LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Day.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

The day commenced in 2020 to mark the impact domestic and family violence has on the LGBTIQA+ community.

There’s no pride in domestic violence.

With high levels of domestic violence being experienced within LGBTIQA+ relationships and seriously low levels of reporting, Australia’s LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation is aiming to turn the tables.

Pride in Law joins with other organisations in standing in solidarity with victims and survivors of all kinds of abuse. We are stronger together.

For more information please visit 👇🏽
http://LGBTIDVAwarenessDay.com

❤️💙🤎🤍🖤💜💚🧡💛

#lgbt+ #domesticviolenceawareness
#LGBTQ #SeenAndBelieved #EndDV #EndDomesticViolence #NotNowNotEver #StopDV #NoMoreSilence #NoMoreViolence