Lady Hale speaks at the launch of the guide this week
Photo: Gary Perlmutter


President of the Supreme Court Lady Hale this week spoke at the launch of the Board of Deputies’ booklet, Jewish Family Life and Customs: a Practical Guide.

Speaking at the Supreme Court, Lady Hale said that the Board of Deputies “should be congratulated” for producing a document which is “for all those legal professionals seeking to understand the Jewish community”.

In her speech, Lady Hale also praised her counterparts at the Israeli Supreme Court which, she said “deserves our support whenever we can give it to them”.

The booklet Jewish Family Life and Customs: A Practical Guide is intended for lawyers and judges who are working with Jewish clients and Jewish contexts who need a trusted resource that provides baseline understanding of Jewish practices. It is a new edition of a booklet that was previously published in 2006. In that time much has changed in the wider legal context – from marriage laws to coroners’ practices.

The launch was attended by more than 100 people, including senior legal professionals, parliamentarians and communal figures. Also speaking were Eleanor Platt QC, chair of the Board of Deputies’ Family Law Group and a co-editor of the guide; President Jonathan Arkush and Vice President Marie van der Zyl.

The guide is available on request in hard copy.



In Paris, International Relations Officer David Walsh (second from right), together with WJC (World Jewish Congress) Representative to the UN in Geneva and UNESCO, Lauren Rose, WJC staff member Itai Hacham, WJC JDCorps (World Jewish Congress Jewish Diplomatic Corps) member Andrei Schwartz met the UK’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Matthew Lodge, to express gratitude for the UK’s principled stance in the organisation and concern regarding ongoing politicisation pursued by a number of member states. The meeting took place during a broader programme of engagement with diplomats and representatives of UNESCO organised by the WJC JDCorps, a flagship programme of the WJC (see story below)