More frustrating is the idea that a reasonable defence would be an honest belief of entitlement, and demonstrates how the law is still not fit for purpose when it comes to sexual violence.

No man is above the law, and no man is below it…” says Roosevelt, reinforcing the importance of upholding the Rule of Law. If you're afraid this book will just paint women as victims, as Eves who have been framed, don't be.

But being a feminist reading of the law, she obviously also discusses how female criminals are vilified far more than men for committing a crime, a 'masculine' act which involves transgressing the boundaries of what is expected of women in society. And going by the litany of horrors that Kennedy details in this relentless, often disturbing book, no wonder. Being a former barrister herself (and now a member of the House of Lords), Kennedy delivers great insight.

Sticking with prisons, the one oddly flabby note in the book comes in a few pages where Kennedy discusses trans prisoners. Her 1992 book Eve Was Framed led to a number of key reforms for women and was followed in 2004 by Just Law. Finally the way she uses language that can be deciphered by those without a legal mind means I will suggest it to everyone who has an interest in law, feminism, politics or current affairs; it is a brilliant, easy and emotive read. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions.Kennedy shares her own experience of coming up as one of the few female barristers and the ways in which archaic traditions are limiting the pipeline of female lawyers who could become tomorrow's judges - and thus the system is perpetuated. Women – whether criminals or victims – are still subject to the most antiquated of double standards. Juries are instructed to compare the behaviour of defendants to that of 'a reasonable man', an absurdity which surely hampers the defence of women; what constitutes provocation must be inflected by power structures including gender. The gender nature of certain crimes and their victims and the gendered nature of so much law, because it is usually administered by men, is still insufficiently recognized or discussed. This was designed to help people who are victims of domestic violence and go on to kill their abusive partner.

Kennedy’s arguments are supported by brutal and gut-wrenching examples of cases which she has first hand knowledge of. Shocked at some of the arguments I read surrounding why rape in marriage shouldn't have been made a crime at that time - we should feel ashamed at how long it took us to change the law in this area. It is really not as simple as the fact that law is sexist -- the problem runs deeper and the solution is beyond complicated. This is a cogently argued examination of how the British legal system ignores, downgrades, underrates and discriminates against women … Kennedy has properly argued that a profession that practises law and pursues justice must be seen to be just, reasonable, unprejudiced and open to public scrutiny.She also tackles the prison system, and how many women are sentenced to imprisonment for minor crimes for which a man would not be. Eve Was Framed is an eye-opening analysis of the disadvantages that women face in the criminal justice system. The trouble is, says Kennedy, there are “no separate sentencing guidelines for women offenders, and the existing guidelines make next to no mention of gender-specific issues”.