President of the Supreme Court Brenda Hale reading the court's judgement. Supreme Court/ AFP
President of the Supreme Court Brenda Hale reading the court's judgement. Supreme Court/ AFP
President of the Supreme Court Brenda Hale reading the court's judgement. Supreme Court/ AFP
President of the Supreme Court Brenda Hale reading the court's judgement. Supreme Court/ AFP

Lady Hale, the 'rock star' UK Supreme Court judge


Jamie Prentis
  • English
  • Arabic

On Tuesday, the UK Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to the government as it ruled Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend – or prorogue – parliament was unlawful.

The court was an arbitrator in the most divisive UK political issue for decades. Its ruling was never going to be without controversy as hardcore Brexiteers saw the latest legislative effort to stop the UK leaving the European Union with or without a deal succeed.

At the centre of it all was Lady Hale, the judge who read out the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision, who quickly became a viral sensation. In a clear statement, largely devoid of archaic and hard to understand legal terms, Lady Hale delivered a withering take on the government decision to suspend parliament.

"The decision to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification,” Lady Hale said to the delight of those against a no-deal Brexit.

“The longer that Parliament stands prorogued, the greater the risk that responsible government may be replaced by unaccountable government,” she said.

While the court’s ruling on Tuesday once again exposed the – almost unbridgeable – rifts in UK politics, it also saw Lady Hale become an online sensation.

Lady Hale is the fire ever female president of the Supreme Court, taking the role in October 2017.

The 74-year-old also went to a state school in Yorkshire – not the typical first steps of a judge in the UK’s highest court, where most are often men and privately educated.

She joined the House of Lords in 2004 having gradually worked in increasingly senior judicial roles. Lady Hale also previously taught law at the Unversity of Manchester.

A newspaper in Belgium called her a “Rockstar” and compared Lady Hale to Beyoncé, arguably the world’s most famous female pop star, who has repeatedly sung about empowering women.

Social media users were quick to point to the spider brooch she wore whilst delivering the verdict – not the first piece of jewellery she’d worn that attracted attention.

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- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

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Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

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