Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Baroness Butler-Sloss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Butler-Sloss
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|---|---|
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| President of the Family Division | |
| In office 1999 – April 2005 |
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| Succeeded by | Sir Mark Potter |
| Lord Justice of Appeal | |
| In office 1988–1999 |
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| Justice of the High Court | |
| In office 1979–1988 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ann Elizabeth Oldfield Havers
10 August 1933 Buckinghamshire, England |
| Political party | None (crossbencher) |
| Other political affiliations |
Conservative Party (1950s) |
| Spouse |
Joseph William Alexander Butler-Sloss
(m. 1958) |
| Relations |
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| Children | 3 |
| Parent |
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| Residences | East Devon, Devon, England |
Baroness Ann Butler-Sloss (born August 10, 1933) is a famous retired judge from England. Her full name is Ann Elizabeth Oldfield Butler-Sloss. She made history by becoming the first woman to be a Lord Justice of Appeal, which is a very high position in the English court system.
Until 2004, she was the highest-ranking female judge in the United Kingdom. She was also involved in a big public investigation into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed. She led this investigation until June 2007, when another judge took over.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ann Butler-Sloss was born in Buckinghamshire, England. Her father, Sir Cecil Havers, was also a judge. Her brother, Lord Havers, later became a very important legal figure called the Lord Chancellor. Her nephew is the actor Nigel Havers.
She went to school at Broomfield House School and Wycombe Abbey School. She also studied for a year at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. She became a lawyer without needing a university degree, which was quite unusual.
Before her legal career, she was interested in politics. She ran as a candidate for the Conservative Party in elections in 1958 and 1959. Even though she got a good number of votes, she was not elected.
A Career in Law
Becoming a Judge
Ann Butler-Sloss officially became a lawyer in February 1955. In 1970, she started working as a Registrar, dealing with important family law cases.
In 1979, she became a High Court judge. She was only the fourth woman in history to achieve this. Like the other female judges before her, she worked in the Family Division, which handles cases about families and children. When she became a High Court judge, she was also given the special title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
Breaking Barriers in the Courts
In 1988, Ann Butler-Sloss made history again. She became the first woman to be appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal. This meant she was a judge in the Court of Appeal, which hears appeals from lower courts.
Then, in 1999, she became the President of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice. This was another first for a woman, and it made her the highest-ranking female judge in the UK at that time. She held this important role until 2004, when Baroness Hale became the first female Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.
She retired from her role as President of the Family Division in 2005. She was replaced by Sir Mark Potter.
Public Investigations
In 2006, she was asked to help with the public investigation (called an inquest) into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales. She was appointed as a Deputy Coroner for this important task. However, in April 2007, she decided to step down from this role. She felt that the investigation, which would involve a jury, needed someone with more experience in that specific type of inquest. The role was then taken over by Lord Justice Scott Baker.
Joining the House of Lords
In 2006, Ann Butler-Sloss was chosen to become a life peer. This meant she would be given the title of Baroness Butler-Sloss and could sit in the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament. She officially became a Baroness on June 13, 2006.
In the House of Lords, she sits as a crossbencher. This means she doesn't belong to any specific political party. She has been very active in the House of Lords, working on various committees. For example, she has been a member of the Ecclesiastical Committee since 2010 and has chaired it since 2020. She also joined the Procedure and Privileges Committee in 2023.
Other Important Roles
Baroness Butler-Sloss has held many other important positions.
- She was the leader (Chancellor) of the University of the West of England starting in 1993.
- She has received special honors from many famous universities and colleges, including St Hilda's College, Oxford, Peterhouse, Cambridge, and King's College London.
- She also received honorary degrees from the University of Bath and the Open University.
- She was the Chairman of the Advisory Council of St Paul's Cathedral for many years.
- As of 2015, she lives in East Devon.
Personal Life
Ann Butler-Sloss married Joseph William Alexander Butler-Sloss in 1958. They have three children and two grandchildren.
She is a church-going Anglican. In 2002, she led the committee that chose the new Archbishop of Canterbury, who is a very important leader in the Church of England. She also chairs the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life.
Images for kids
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Baroness Butler-Sloss's coat of arms.
