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Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Postwar Years

Feminism and Law from 1946 to 1970

Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Postwar Years cover

Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Postwar Years

Feminism and Law from 1946 to 1970

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Pre-order. Available Jul 08 2027
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Description

This book presents 27 legal advances for British women between 1946 and 1970.

It challenges the traditional view that little positive happened for women between the granting of the vote and the rise of the Women's Liberation Movement, as well as the assumption that feminism was largely inactive in this period. The landmarks considered include women's admission to the foreign and diplomatic service, equal pay in the civil service, the appointment of women as KCs and coroners, and the protest at the Miss World contest as well as cases and statutes touching on a wide range of areas including property, family and criminal law.

Each landmark is located in its social and legal context, linked to other movements in the period, and assessed in terms of its later history and significance. Together they demonstrate that campaigns for women's rights were vigorously pursued by feminists both inside and outside Parliament during this period. While some landmarks achieved positive results, many were limited or thwarted by patriarchal opposition but still stand as 'steps on the way' to later reforms.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Bringing Together the Key Themes of the Collection, Rosemary Auchmuty, (University of Reading, UK), Erika Rackley (University of Birmingham, UK) and Mari Takayanagi (Law Society, UK)
2. UN Commission on Status of Women (1946), Mari Takayanagi (Law Society, UK)
3. End of Marriage Bar in Home Civil Service (1946), Helen Glew (University of Westminster, UK)
4. Admission of Women to Foreign and Diplomatic Service (1946), Helen McCarthy (University of Cambridge, UK)
5. National Health Service Act 1946, Mathew Thomson (University of Warwick, UK)
6. First Women KCs/QCs (1949-1970), James Hand (University of Portsmouth, UK)
7. Criminal Law Amendment Act 1951, Caroline Derry (Open University, UK)
8. First Woman Coroner, Mary Hollowell (1951), Helen Rutherford (Northumbria Law School, UK)
9. Intestates' Estates Act 1952, Juliet Brook (University of Reading, UK)
10. Bendall v McWhirter (1952), Richard Hedlund (University of Lincoln, UK)
11. Women's Disabilities Bills (1952 and 1953), Rosemary Auchmuty (University of Reading, UK)
12. Florence Horsburgh, first Conservative woman cabinet member, 1954, Mari Takayanagi (Law Society, UK)
13. Equal Pay in Civil Service (1955), Teresa Sutton (University of Sussex, UK)
14. Clean Air Act 1956, Sue Farran (Newcastle University, UK)
15. Homicide Act 1957, Kay Crosby (Newcastle University, UK)
16. Wolfenden Report 1957, Caroline Derry (Open University, UK)
17. Article 119 Treaty of Rome (1957), Ed Reyes (Law Society, UK)
18. Fribance v Fribance (1957), Rosemary Auchmuty (University of Reading, UK)
19. Women Students at Oxford (1957-1959), Linda Mulcahy (University of Oxford, UK)
20. Matrimonial Causes (Property and Maintenance) Act (1958), Rebecca Probert (University of Exeter, UK)
21. Maintenance Orders Act 1958, Sharon Thompson (Cardiff University, UK)
22. Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, Mari Takayanagi (Law Society, UK)
23. Law Reform (Husband and Wife) Act 1962, Joanne Conaghan (University of Bristol, UK)
24. Race Relations Act 1965, Iyiola Solanke (University of Oxford, UK)
25. Jennie Lee, White Paper on A Policy for the Arts (1965), Tom Frost (University of Kent, UK)
26. Matrimonial Homes Act 1967, Brenda Hale (Member of the House of Lords and former President of the UK Supreme Court, UK)
27. Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970, Sharon Thompson (Cardiff University, UK)
28. Feminist Protest at Miss World in London (1970), Erika Rackley (University of Birmingham, UK)

Product details

Published Jul 08 2027
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Pages 432
ISBN 9781509998418
Imprint Hart Publishing
Dimensions 234 x 156 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Rosemary Auchmuty

Rosemary Auchmuty is Professor of Law at the Unive…

Anthology Editor

Erika Rackley

Erika Rackley is Professor of Law at the Universit…

Anthology Editor

Mari Takayanagi

Mari Takayanagi is Senior Archivist at the Parliam…

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