On 1 December 1922, Monica Mary Geikie Cobb became the first woman barrister in England and Wales to appear in court. She had qualified as a barrister on 22 November that year, one of the first small cohort of women to do so intending to pursue a legal career. Their success followed a long battle for admission into the legal professions, against resistance by the professional bodies. It became possible only after the Sex Disqualification Removal Act 1919 became law, opening the legal professions, magistracy and juries to women.
When Cobb won her case at the Birmingham Assizes just nine days after qualification, that success not only represented a milestone in women’s entry to the legal professions and a personal triumph but also, thanks to press interest in the occasion, played a vital part in shaping public perceptions of women barristers, confirming that they were capable professionals. Cobb’s court appearance was thus one significant step in a much longer process which continues today.
The full version of this landmark is written by Caroline Derry.