OBITUARY
communal and she went about constructing what grew into a highly respected team of practitioners, literally from all corners. Anne-Marie was a mover and shaker in taking young lawyers with languages, qualifications, educational and professional experience from abroad. At one point, we calculated that Dawson Cornwell could sing near on 50 different national anthems. She tutored but did not micromanage. She worked on the “there’s five ways to run a case” principle. “Three of them will be right, two of them wrong” she would say. “It may be not one I’d choose, but as long it’s one of the three that’s right, fine by me”. She encouraged her charges to think for themselves, although perish the poor pilgrim who occasionally opted for one of the two that was wrong. It is that group of talented and highly motivated lawyers who she has left behind which is her true legacy. She had a long list of professional accolades, including: ■ Queen’s Counsel honoris causa (2016) for her efforts to get countries to sign up to the Hague Convention and her work in forced marriage; ■ Honorary Doctorate of Laws (2016), University of Leeds; ■ The prestigious Presidential Medal of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (2014); ■ Top 50 Women Super Lawyers (2013); ■ Top 100 UK Super Lawyers (2013); ■ The inaugural International Family Lawyer of the Year, Jordan’s Family Law Awards (2012); ■ “Albert” from the Albert Kennedy Trust in recognition of her work on the international level for defending the human rights of young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (2011); ■ True Honour Award, IKWRO (Iranian Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation) (2011); ■ Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award, International Bar Association (2010); ■ Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (2004) for her work with victims of forced marriage; ■ OBE for services to international child abduction and international adoption (2002 New Years’ Honours List); ■ The inaugural UNICEF Child Rights Lawyer Awards (1999); ■ She was Times Lawyer of the Week (unusually twice) in 2006 and 2016. Despite her many deserving accolades, what meant more to her were the messages and cards she received from clients she’d helped over the decades. She’d quite often get a text from an old client saying that she was together with her children and
they will never forget her, or from one woman whom Anne-Marie had rescued from a forced marriage and who went on to work for the UN. We have seen, in the many wonderful condolences we have received about her, references that Anne-Marie could be a bit scary and frightening. This of course was just another of her brilliant presentational stratagems to disguise the fact that in reality she could be seriously terrifying. You don’t achieve as she did without a touch of steel however it was inevitably and quickly followed by a joke, a characterful, and often indiscreet, anecdote and when required an arm around the shoulder. It is often said about family law that there are no winners or losers. The end result of a financial divorce settlement is usually measured in by degrees; parties can feel hurt and distress at outcomes but rarely is it a matter of life and death. The family law practised by Anne-Marie, however, played out for the highest stakes. For her clients who were victims of forced marriage, so-called “honour” based violence, at risk of FGM or stranded spouses, losing was not an option and it mattered to her above anything else that they rarely if ever did. Get asset back at first instance, then appeal, don’t achieve a better outcome on appeal take it to the next level if necessary pro bono. Dawson Cornwell habitually had more reported cases a year than any other firm in the country. That is why adrenaline, even to the very end, was an important constituent part of what might loosely be described as her diet; caffeine, nicotine and the occasional after work bottle of vino with colleagues and friends seemed to make up the rest, which no doubt accounted for her waif-like figure. Her larger than life personality will live on at Dawson Cornwell. It is seeped into the fabric of the place and the ethos of its practitioners; how could it not be. To coin the old Rodgers and Hammerstein lyric, she was – “A hundred-and-one pounds of fun, every inch packed with dynamite”. Anne- Marie leaves behind three surviving siblings Geraldine, Paul and Catherine as well as her two beloved children, daughter Catherine and son Sam. She bravely fought off her terrible illness, just long enough, proudly to see Sam take up a place at Kings College and Catherine both to present her with a lovely granddaughter Emmeline Marie (Marie being her middle name and Anne-Marie’s name sake) and to marry Emmeline’s father and her long term partner Murray. ■
WHLS Events 2020/21 18 November 2020
March 2021 – TBC
Legally Disabled Report Roundtable WHLS, with the Lawyers with Disabilities Division of the Law Society are meeting to discuss the Legally Disabled Report research findings and recommendations. The meeting will start at 5.30pm and the room will open at 5.20pm. We will close the meeting at 7.00pm.
WHLS Annual Dinner Continuing the tradition of our Annual Dinner, the Society looks forward to welcoming members and guests to what we hope will be an excellent opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues after a long (and possibly socially distant!) winter. Details will follow in due course.
January 2021 – TBC
Additional Events
The Gamlin Prize Award & President’s New Year’s Drinks The Society’s Gamlin Prize is awarded each year and is coupled with our in-coming President’s New Year’s celebration. Details of this event will follow in due course.
Additional events are under discussion. If you have suggestions or would like to host an event, please contact the committee at cwhlawsoc@gmail.com. The website calendar also shows our events www.cwhls.org.uk. CENTRAL LONDON LAWYER | 19
