All Rise: A Conversation with Judge Deborah Taylor

All Rise: A Conversation with Deborah Taylor

Deborah Taylor (1980, Law) is a criminal law judge who sits at Southwark Crown Court. Alongside trying high-profile cases such as those of Julian Assange and Boris Becker, Deborah was recently elected Treasurer of the Inner Temple, where she advocates for greater diversity at the Bar. She was interviewed for the Somerville Magazine by current student Kristy Chan (2020, Law).

HHJ Deborah Taylor sits in Southwark Crown Court, the Administrative Court, High Court Queen’s Bench Division and Court of Appeal Criminal Division

Did you always plan to go to the Bar?

Oh, yes. I was always very argumentative, so I thought the Bar would suit me better than being a solicitor. At Somerville, I was fortunate to be taught by Lady Fox and Anne de Moor, two excellent tutors who encouraged me. I was also very fortunate to be up with a similarly determined group, including my good friend Margaret Casely-Hayford (Chair of Shakespeare’s Globe and Honorary Fellow of Somerville).

Did you also plan to specialise in criminal law?

Actually, no. I did not practise in crime at the Bar, but had a common law/commercial practice including insurance and reinsurance. I swapped over to crime when I became a judge. Southwark does predominantly fraud and corruption cases, so my background in commercial law was really helpful. I’m very glad I’ve had the opportunity of doing both civil and criminal law.

What would you say is the trickiest or most memorable case you’ve judged?

I’ve done a number of cases which I think are quite memorable. But I suppose that the most extraordinary involved a Maoist cult in South London. The leader of the cult imprisoned his followers in a house in Brixton – including his daughter, from her birth to age 30, so she had never been outside in all that time. That’s an interesting case. It even has its own entry in Wikipedia.

You tried cases throughout the pandemic using video conferencing platforms. Is that helpful when trying a case?

I think it’s very good in some ways. It’s certainly made us realise which parts of a trial actually need people there. For example, case management before trial can be done remotely, because it involves procedural or legal arguments with no requirement for jury or defendants. During the trial is less simple.

Reform from within: Deborah Taylor in court dress

We had witnesses come into Court via Zoom during the pandemic and sometimes the impact of evidence can be less than if given in the courtroom.

In terms of cross-examination?

Exactly. There’s a distancing effect when somebody’s on screen. Criminal trials are very dynamic and quite dramatic – just the looks between defendants in court when a bit of evidence detrimental to them is given sometimes give the jury a clue as to whether they’re telling the truth or not. That is lost on screen.

You recently became Treasurer of Inner Temple. What do you hope to achieve in the post?

Inner Temple aims to be welcoming, progressive and inclusive. As Treasurer, I really hope to build on that. This year I organised a dinner for the centenary of the Call of the first woman to the Bar, Ivy Williams of Inner Temple. It was a celebration of how far we’ve come, but with a recognition that there is still a lot of work to be done to improve diversity. The latest analysis from the Bar Standards Board confirms that women still earn far less than men at the Bar and, even worse, that the inequity is intersectional, with Black women earning the least. As Treasurer, I would like to address that inequity, for women, people from all backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and non-traditional communities.

How do you plan to improve the representation of women and people from diverse backgrounds?

The Inner Temple does extensive outreach in schools and universities and provides substantial financial scholarships and, through the PASS scheme, mini-pupillages, to encourage and support those from all backgrounds. However, for lasting change, we need to keep women in the profession longer to reach the highest levels. Chambers must assist the careers of women by fairer allocation of work and support in returning to the Bar after having children. I was proud to be involved in the foundation of Temple Women’s Forum in 2014 to promote equality throughout women’s careers. This year, all four Inns have joined together in forming the Inns of Court Alliance for Women, continuing that work.

What advice would you give to current Somervillians considering the Bar?

What better than the lines from Macbeth: ‘Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man.’ You have to be so tough as a woman at the Bar – but, as we’ve seen, change is possible. As a Somervillian lawyer, male or female, you’re joining a lineage dating back to Cornelia Sorabji, not only the first woman to study law at Oxford, but also the first woman to practise law in India. Just the looks between defendants can give the jury a clue as to whether they’re telling the truth – which is almost impossible on Zoom.

Ah, yes. I’ve seen the plaque to her in the Law Room at Somerville.

One of many women whose example continues to inspire me.

Oxford University’s Jessup Moot team after winning the national finals – Kristy Chan stands far-left