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Discover›Law
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Rose Heilbron
Judge

Rose Heilbron

Famoose for

Breaking barriers for women at the English Bar and on the bench.

Constantine v Imperial Hotels · Cameo murder defence

Born
19 August 1914
Birthplace
Liverpool
Died
8 December 2005

More people

Ruth Bader GinsburgAdvancing gender equality as a lawyer and US Supreme Court justice.B. R. AmbedkarChairing India’s constitutional drafting committee and challenging caste discrimination.Thurgood MarshallArguing Brown v. Board of Education and becoming the first Black US Supreme Court justice.

Rose Heilbron

Liverpool barrister and judge who built a prominent criminal practice before entering the judiciary. She was among the first two women appointed King’s Counsel and later became a High Court judge.

Early life

Legal education

Attended the Belvedere School and Liverpool University, earning a first-class law degree in 1935. A Gray’s Inn scholarship supported her legal training.

Career

  1. 1939

    Called to the Bar

    Began the career that took her onto the Northern Circuit.

  2. 1949

    King’s Counsel

    Took silk alongside Helena Normanton.

  3. 1974

    High Court

    Became the second woman appointed to the court.

Selected work

Constantine v Imperial Hotels

Served as junior counsel in Learie Constantine’s discrimination case.

Cameo murder defence

Led the defence of George Kelly; his conviction was eventually quashed in 2003.

Beyond work

Family and interests

Married physician Nathaniel Burstein. Their daughter Hilary also became a barrister. Heilbron enjoyed golf and walking and supported Soroptimist International.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Additional biographical or achievement source ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.