In October 2004, The Hon. Dame Linda Dobbs DBE became the first non-white high court judge to be appointed in the UK. She has been named amongst Britain’s most powerful black women.
She came to the UK from Sierra Leone as a child and went on to study at the University of Surrey and then LSE. She was called to the bar in 1981 and took silk in 1998.
Dame Linda Dobbs is an inspiring example of taking the lead. Whilst at the bar, she was a member of a number of committees, including the Race Relations, Equal Opportunities, International, Professional Conduct and Professional Standard Committees. She also set up the first Equality and Diversity sub-committee at the Criminal Bar Association, utilising her position to play a key role in promoting conversations about race within that sector.
With only 1 % of UK court judges being Black or Black British, there is still a long way to go, but individuals like Linda Dobbs have opened up opportunities for other black lawyers and aspiring judges.
