Helena Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws
Encyclopedia
Helena Ann Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws QC
, FRSA, (born 12 May 1950) is a British barrister
, broadcaster
, and Labour
member of the House of Lords
. She is a former chair of the Human Genetics Commission
, which advises the UK government on ethical, social, and legal issues arising from developments in genetic science.
. She has three sisters. Her family members were staunch Labour activists, and committed Roman Catholics. Her father, Joshua, a printer with the Daily Record
, was a trades union official. She attended Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow
, where she was appointed Head Girl. Kennedy still attends Mass and says her Catholicism "remains very much part of who I am", even though she eschews its more traditional values. She studied law at London's Council of Legal Education
, London.
; they lived together from 1978 until 1984 and have a son. In 1986, Kennedy married Iain Louis Hutchison, a surgeon, with whom she has a daughter and a son.
in 2006. Kennedy was elected Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford in July 2010. She took up the position in September 2011.
.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, FRSA, (born 12 May 1950) is a British barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. She is a former chair of the Human Genetics Commission
Human Genetics Commission
The Human Genetics Commission is a non-departmental public body body that advises the UK government on the ethical and social aspects of genetics...
, which advises the UK government on ethical, social, and legal issues arising from developments in genetic science.
Background
Kennedy was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. She has three sisters. Her family members were staunch Labour activists, and committed Roman Catholics. Her father, Joshua, a printer with the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
, was a trades union official. She attended Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where she was appointed Head Girl. Kennedy still attends Mass and says her Catholicism "remains very much part of who I am", even though she eschews its more traditional values. She studied law at London's Council of Legal Education
Council of Legal Education
The Council of Legal Education was an English supervisory body established by the four Inns of Court to regulate and improve the legal education of barristers within England and Wales.-History:...
, London.
Family
Kennedy's first partner was actor Iain MitchellIain Mitchell
Iain Mitchell is a British actor notable for his appearance as Thomas Cromwell in The Other Boleyn Girl and Superintendent Maitland in Agatha Christie's Poirot . Onstage he has appeared in La Cage aux Folles and the adaptation of His Dark Materials.-External links:...
; they lived together from 1978 until 1984 and have a son. In 1986, Kennedy married Iain Louis Hutchison, a surgeon, with whom she has a daughter and a son.
Academia
Kennedy was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Education) by the University of BathUniversity of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
in 2006. Kennedy was elected Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford in July 2010. She took up the position in September 2011.
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 infamous "drunk Oliver ReedOliver ReedOliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
" episode, where Reed verbally insulted and attempted to kiss feminist critic Kate MillettKate MillettKate Millett is an American lesbian feminist writer and activist. A seminal influence on second-wave feminism, Millet is best known for her 1970 book Sexual Politics.-Career:...
- see After Dark episode - Oliver Reed and Kate Millett
- She presented many editions of this series, including the infamous "drunk Oliver Reed
- 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
Politics
Kennedy rebels against her party in House of Lords votes more frequently than any other Labour Peer, with a dissent rate of 33.3% She was Chair of Charter 88 (1992–97) and is closely affiliated to the educational charity Common PurposeCommon purpose
The doctrine of common purpose, common design or joint enterprise is a legal doctrine in some common law jurisdictions which imputes criminal liability on the participants to a criminal enterprise for all that results from that enterprise...
.
Public leadership
- President, Helena Kennedy Foundation
- President of the Board the Governors of the School of Oriental and African StudiesSchool of Oriental and African StudiesThe School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
(SOAS) - Chair, JUSTICEJUSTICEJUSTICE is a human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is the British section of the International Commission of Jurists, the international human rights organisation of lawyers devoted to the legal protection of human rights worldwide...
- Chair of the Board of Governors for the United World College of the Atlantic
- President, Medical Aid for PalestiniansMedical Aid for PalestiniansMedical Aid for Palestinians is a British charity that offers medical services in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Lebanon and, advocates for the universal right to health.-Aim and history:...
- Patron, Burma Campaign UKBurma Campaign UKBurma Campaign UK founded in 1991 is a London based Non Governmental Organisation that aims to achieve the 'restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma . BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Burmese pro-democracy movement and is the largest campaigning organisation for Burma in Europe...
, the London based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in Burma - Member of the Board of Independent News and Media
- Trustee, KPMG Foundation
- Chancellor of Oxford Brookes UniversityOxford Brookes UniversityOxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
(1994–2001) - Chair, British CouncilBritish CouncilThe British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
(1998–2004) - Chair, Human Genetics CommissionHuman Genetics CommissionThe Human Genetics Commission is a non-departmental public body body that advises the UK government on the ethical and social aspects of genetics...
(1998-2007) - President of the National Children's BureauNational Children's BureauThe National Children's Bureau is a children's charity based in Islington, London. It was founded in 1963 The National Children's Bureau (NCB) is a children's charity based in Islington, London. It was founded in 1963 The National Children's Bureau (NCB) is a children's charity based in Islington,...
(1998–2005) - Kennedy chaired the Power CommissionPower InquiryThe POWER Inquiry was established in 2004 to explore how political participation and involvement can be increased and deepened in Britain. Its work is based on the primary belief that a healthy democracy requires the active participation of its citizens....
(November 2005 – March 2006), which examined the problem of democratic disengagement in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. A report was produced which highlighted the "Myth of Apathy" and the lack of political engagement - Chair of Power 2010Power 2010Power 2010 was a campaign to reform the British Parliament.The campaign first aimed to identify five key reforms to the parliamentary system that the public most wanted to see enacted...
, which aimed to carry forward the concepts behind the Power CommissionPower InquiryThe POWER Inquiry was established in 2004 to explore how political participation and involvement can be increased and deepened in Britain. Its work is based on the primary belief that a healthy democracy requires the active participation of its citizens....
into the UK 2010 General Election - Member of the World Bank InstituteWorld Bank InstituteThe World Bank Institute is the capacity development branch of the World Bank. It provides learning programs, policy advice and technical assistance to policy makers, government and non-government agencies and development practitioners of developing countries...
's External Advisory Council - Member of the board of the British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
- Vice-President of the Haldane Society
- Vice-President of the Association of Women Barristers
- Patron, LibertyLiberty (pressure group)Liberty is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its formal name is the National Council for Civil Liberties . Founded in 1934 by Ronald Kidd and Sylvia Crowther-Smith , the group campaigns to protect civil liberties and promote human rights...
- Patron, UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-OffendersUNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-OffendersUNLOCK, The National Association of Reformed Offenders is an independent United Kingdom-based charity, established in 2000 to campaign for the equality of reformed offenders....
- Patron, Debt Doctors Foundation UK (DD-UK)
- Patron, Tower Hamlets Summer UniversityTower Hamlets Summer UniversityTower Hamlets Summer University is a British charity in the Tower Hamlets area of London which offers independent learning programs for people from 11 to 25 years of age...
- Chair, Howard League'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's Commission of Inquiry into the health, environmental and safety aspects of the Atomic Weapons Establishment at AldermastonAldermastonAldermaston is a rural village, civil parish and electoral ward in Berkshire, South-East England. In the 2001 United Kingdom Census, the parish had a population of 927. The village is on the southern edge of the River Kennet flood plain, near the Hampshire county boundary...
(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 CentreForeign Policy CentreThe Foreign Policy Centre is a British think tank specialising in foreign policy. It was formed in 1998 and launched by Tony Blair with the aim of developing a "vision of a fair and rule-based world order". It is pro-European. It has its origins on the centre-left of British politics, but works...
's Advisory Council - Formerly UK member of the International Bar AssociationInternational Bar AssociationThe International Bar Association is an international association of lawyers and lawyers' associations. The IBA's stated purpose is to promote an exchange of information between legal associations worldwide, support the independence of the judiciary and the right of lawyers to practice their...
'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 seminal report, Learning Works, published in 1997
Honours and awards
- Created Life PeerLife peerIn the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in 1997, gazetted as "Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, of Cathcart in the City of Glasgow" - Elected a member of the Académie Universelle des Cultures by the French government
- Granted Cavalier di Gran Croce (Italy's highest honour) by the President of Italy, 2004
- Appointed Commandeur de l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques, 2006, by the French government
- Honorary Fellow, Royal College of PsychiatristsRoyal College of PsychiatristsThe Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
, 2005 - Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child HealthRoyal College of Paediatrics and Child HealthRoyal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in London is responsible for the training of postgraduate doctors in paediatrics and conducting the MRCPCH membership exams. They also conduct the Diploma in Child Health exam, which is taken by many doctors who plan a career in General Practice...
, 2005 - Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)
- Honorary Fellow, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
- Fellow of the City and Guilds of London Institute
- Honorary Fellow, University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, 2010 - Honorary Fellow, School of Oriental and African StudiesSchool of Oriental and African StudiesThe School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
(SOAS), 2011 - Honorary Doctorates of Law: University of Strathclyde 1992, University of Teeside 1993, Keele University 1994, Lancaster University 1994, Leeds Metropolitan University 1995, University of Bristol 1997, University of Wolverhampton 1997, The Open University 1997, University of Abertay Dundee 1997, Tavistock Centre under the auspices of the University of East London 1997, University of Derby 1998, University of Leicester 1998, University of York 1999, National University of Ireland 2000, University of Aberdeen 2000, Oxford Brookes University 2001, Caledonian University 2001, Robert Gordon University 2002, Judicial Academy of Russia 2002, Polytechnic University of Tomsk 2002, Middlesex University 2003, De Montfort University 2004, University of Sheffield 2005, University of Staffordshire 2005, University of Paisley 2005, University of Edinburgh 2005