Mishcon de Reya lawyers Katy Colton and Grace Houghton have been featured in The Times and the Law Gazette following the posthumous conditional pardon granted to Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the UK.
Katy Colton, Partner and Head of Politics & Law in Mishcon Private was featured as The Times Lawyer of the Week. Katy explains how failures in the original police investigation and prosecution affected the evidence that survived, requiring the team to draw on a wide range of sources to reconstruct a picture of Ruth’s mental state. She also discusses her politically informed practice, the importance of achieving a tangible impact for clients and the people who have influenced her legal career.
Grace Houghton, Associate in the Private Department, was featured as the Law Gazette’s Lawyer in the News. Grace, who represented Ruth’s grandchildren, discusses the abuse Ruth suffered at the hands of David Blakely and why the pardon is a historic acknowledgement that she should never have been executed. She also reflects on the wider significance of the case, dealing with intense media interest and the privilege of helping Ruth’s family secure justice more than 70 years after her execution.
Read more: