Sarah Clarke: 'Inspiration' Dame Siobhan Keegan approachable but formidable

As I awaited my meeting with Dame Siobhan Keegan I peered at the wood panelled walls in her chamber in the Royal Courts of Justice.

As a reporter I'm used to the courtrooms and despite having covered many stories there I never cease to be impressed by their splendour.

But I'd never been in the judges' chambers.  And here I was - post pandemic in person - inside that of the Chief Justice.

Anyone who's been through the turnstiles into the High Court will know just how commanding a building it is.

It's similar behind the scenes. But most striking to me in that office (aside from the beautiful equine paintings - a nod to Dame Keegan's love of horses) was that the walls were lined with portraits of men.

I always check out the ratio in public buildings. In Queen's University's Great Hall recently I noticed some successful women honoured (former Irish president Mary McAleese, the late Baroness May Blood among them) but MANY more men.

And here it was in plain sight the male dominated legal profession in the nine former top judges staring back at me.

Every one since Northern Ireland's formation a man - until now.

Siobhan Keegan was - I was told - reluctant to talk about her gender as she felt she'd covered it in previous interviews.

It was of course always going to be something I wanted to ask her about but I reassured her team it would not be the sole focus.

The list was long and, to her credit and in the half hour we had together, she covered everything and with candour.

Legacy, crimes against women - including controversial comments made by one of the judiciary- tackling delay and modernising the system.

When I asked if she thought she did her job differently by virtue of being a woman she replied that while she had wondered about that, she'd concluded that every individual brought something of their person to the job. 

She said she believed you were a good lawyer if you were a man or a woman and it was your experience and legal expertise which made you stand out.

As a person and a professional she was energetic and enthusiastic but exacting. 

Approachable but formidable - a paradoxical but winning combination. One of her aides remarked when she took up the role the card she'd originally thought she'd write to her new boss would contain the words: 'you're an inspiration to women'.

But on reflection and after talking to her husband had simply written: 'you're an inspiration.'

To men as well as women.

And I came away with the same view.  After all, a more equitable system benefits us all.

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