Former Court of Appeal judge and president of the Council of Inns of Court Dame Janet Smith, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Inspirational Women in Law Awards.
Smith was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1972 and practised for 20 years before being appointed to the High Court, while also raising three children. In 2002, she became only the fourth woman to serve as a Court of Appeal judge.
She was responsible for high-profile inquiries, including the Shipman Inquiry into the activities of GP and convicted serial killer Harold Shipman, and an inquiry into former television presenter Jimmy Savile, commissioned by the BBC.
The awards are run by The Next 100 Years project, now in its 11th year, set up by Dana Denis Smith, the vice president of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Denis-Smith said: 'This year’s awards pay special tribute to Dame Janet Smith DBE’s contribution to the law. Dame Janet is a living reminder of how working mothers can, with dedication and drive, rise to the top of the judiciary. She also gave her time to public service, acting on some of the most high-profile inquiries of recent years. This is a chance to celebrate Dame Janet and the exciting, groundbreaking work of the generations that are following in her footsteps.'
Other award winners included Georgina Parkin, managing director of Truth Legal, who was named ‘Solicitor of the Year’; and Emma Price from 5 Essex Chambers, as ‘Barrister of the Year’. The gong for ‘In-House Lawyer of the Year’ went to Neha Dhaun, head of consumer & competition law, Sainsbury’s.
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