My Brilliant Career: Ex-judge uses experience in social, political criticism
Christopher Nicholson is a retired judge who has written a play entitled ‘Justice is a Woman’
Tell me about Justice is a Woman. About 20 years ago, I gave a talk on whether women have a place in the law. In researching the history, I came across fascinating details about how women came to be excluded from the practice of law. During my career as a judge, I was required to give a judgment about whether witnesses should sit in court while other witnesses give evidence. The rule that they must wait outside has long roots, based on the Old Testament story of Susannah and the Elders. The judge Daniel acquits Susannah on false charges of adultery after insisting the "witnesses" be separated before giving evidence. Early lawyers in the 17th century relied on the biblical account when persuading judges to make witnesses wait out of earshot. After researching the topic, I wrote an article for the legal magazine De Rebus. After writing a number of books, I decided to write a play incorporating features of the two stories. Justice is a Woman is a highly emotive production, highlighting...
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