Anuja Dhir

Born at Dundee in 1968 of Indian heritage,[2] Dhir was educated at Harris Academy before reading Law at Dundee University, graduating LLB in 1988. She then won a Gray's Inn scholarship and was called to the Bar in 1989.

Married since 2002 to Sir Nicholas Lavender, QC,[3] appointed a High Court Judge and knighted in 2016,[4] when Dhir became entitled to the formal syle of Lady Lavender, although professionally she remains known by her maiden name.

In 2018, Lady Lavender received an honorary degree (Hon LLD) from Dundee University.[5]

Dhir practised as a barrister for 23 years, as counsel for both prosecutor and defence, being involved in serious criminal cases as well as cases involving national security and human rights.

Previously a member of various Bar Council Committees including the Equality Committee, the Professional Conduct Committee and Law Reform Committee, she has been heavily involved in advocacy training in the UK and abroad: she was head of teacher training for Gray's Inn and has led training in India, Sri Lanka, Jamaica (death row cases), Bermuda, Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore (for the AG), Zimbabwe and South Africa.[6]

Elected a Bencher of Gray's Inn in 2009, she took silk and was appointed Recorder in 2010, before promotion as a Circuit Judge in 2012. In February 2017, at the age of 49, she became a Judge at the Old Bailey.[6]

In November 2018 she made the headlines after allowing an 18 year-old youth, who had welded a large hunting knife at a motorist in Croydon, and with a previous conviction for robbery with a knife, to walk out of court with a suspended sentence.[7]

A Governor of the Hackney City Academy School since 2016, Lady Lavender also serves as a Court Assistant of the Haberdashers' Company.[8]

• Lady Lavender becomes first non-white Circuit Judge at Old Bailey
• www.judiciary.uk