Talking to Myself

Anthony Lester has lived many lives, though he will chiefly be remembered as one of Britain's fiercest champions of human rights, whether at the Bar, where he practised for more than fifty years; in government, where, as special advisor to Home Secretary Roy Jenkins, he developed the policy behind the crucial Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Race Relations Act 1976; or as a Liberal Democrat peer in the House of Lords, where he openly combated abuses of public power. Whether representing British Asian refugees from East Africa fleeing tyranny, acting for a victim of motor neurone disease who wished to die with dignity without exposing her doctor to prosecution, or advocating freedom of speech and freedom of the press as fundamental constitutional rights, Lester has long been one of the most effective and admired of those campaigning for racial and sexual equality, and is a renowned supporter of human rights and freedoms across the board.

This remarkable book traces the life of Anthony Lester to map the history of human rights in this country over the last half-century.

Auteur

Anthony Lester QC is Britain's most eminent human rights lawyer. In 2007, he received the Liberty and Justice Judges' Award for a lifetime of achievement in the service of human rights. He was until recently a Liberal Democrat peer and is a frequent commentator on law and public policy. He is the author of the acclaimed Five Ideas to Fight For (Oneworld, 2016).

Texte du rabat

"An informative, provocative and deeply personal account of a distinguished life in law and politics." - Lord Pannick QC

"A brave trailblazer for human rights." - Sir Harold Evans, former editor of the Sunday Times

"In his eloquent memoir, Anthony Lester weaves the story of the expansion of human rights at home and abroad ... This rich history by a great human rights lawyer is a reminder that 'hope dies last...', and that we cannot give up hope." - Margaret H. Marshall, former Chief Justice, Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts

I have been a campaigner in many human rights causes, some successful, some less so, some failed. My mother once said, 'Anthony, we had such a fine system until you ruined it!' I hope she was wrong.

Over the course of his illustrious, pioneering and sometimes controversial career, Anthony Lester transformed Britain's approach to human rights. As a brave and creative lawyer, and as a peer in the House of Lords, he worked tirelessly to combat abuses of public power and to introduce new legal frameworks for human rights, equality and free speech.

In these honest and remarkable personal memoirs, which map the history of human rights in this country over the past half-century, Anthony Lester explores the social conditions and interior circumstances that shaped his life as a relentless and passionate campaigner for equality and justice.