The centenary of women’s formal entry into the legal profession in the UK and Ireland is celebrated in a unique new scholarly anthology co-edited by Kent Law School Professor Erika Rackley and Professor Rosemary Auchmuty (University of Reading).

Women’s Legal Landmarks: Celebrating the history of women and law in the UK and Ireland (Hart Publishing) is an anthology of 92 key legal landmarks written by over 80 feminist legal and history scholars, all of whom are participants in the Women’s Legal Landmarks Project led by Professor Rackley and Professor Auchmuty. Between them, the book’s contributors address almost 2000 years of history of women and feminists’ engagement with law and law reform. Topics covered include the right to vote, sex discrimination, surrogacy and assisted reproduction, rape, domestic violence, FGM, equal pay, abortion, and the life stories of a number of women who were the first to undertake key legal roles and positions.

Professor Rackley said: ‘Women’s formal entry into the legal profession was – of course – a key legal landmark for women. But it was not the first. Nor was it the last. Women’s legal history in the UK and Ireland is full of landmarks, turning points in law’s response to women’s lives and experiences.

‘Feminists have long had recourse to law as a key means of achieving equality. From “Votes for Women” to #repealthe8th, from the East End of London to Greenham Common, women, feminists and women-led organisations have been there campaigning and making the arguments for change.’

The book will be launched at Matrix Chambers in London at the end of January. This will be followed by a series of ‘Conversations’ hosted by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies throughout 2019.