ARINA KOKINA
“No man is above the law, and no man is below it…” says Roosevelt, reinforcing the importance of upholding the Rule of Law. However, Helena Kennedy’s Eve was Framed (Vintage 1993) will show you that prejudice could be stronger than the rule of law itself, bringing injustice to someone who is “below [the law]” – to women.
This book will explain to you how the British Justice system fails women. Helena Kennedy QC (Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, QC) uses an approachable vocabulary that makes sense to those without legal knowledge. In the book, she explains the basics of the work of the British law courts, hence I recommend this book to everyone interested in politics, feminism, and to everyone who wants to research the problem of inequality. Such brief basics will be helpful to a first-year law student since it helps you to approach law in a more rounded way.
As a feminist, Kennedy does not talk about women in a general term. She introduces you to a list of minorities oppressed by the legal system (black women, poor women, women with mental health conditions). Moreover, Kennedy shares her balanced point of view with a recall of the real-life cases as well as her private cases – these allow an even greater insight . It is important to mention the use of statistics. In my opinion, one great example could be in the first chapter, where she compares the “escalation of the numbers of women being sent to prison” in the early 90s and the start of the 2000s. The given statistics will convince you of the existence of prejudice and double standards for women everywhere in the court: whether it is behind the Bar or the bars. It is indeed shocking that double standards can affect the outcome of the trial and a woman who gets prosecuted, might suffer an even harsher sentence than her male counterparts for equivalent crimes only because she came to a court with a deep v-cut dress.
If you are afraid that this book will portray women as inevitable victims of the British judicial system and portray men as sexists, start reading this book now because this is something completely different! Kennedy accuses women as much as men and talks equally about female criminals and female victims. Her final questioning of whether women want equality with men or to be treated fairly will certainly stay with you. Published in 1993, Eve Was Framed does not fully reflect today’s society and justice system, mainly because the laws have been updated and the awareness of the inequality among people has significantly increased in comparison to the 90s. However, some problems that Kennedy addresses are still relevant to this day. It is important to understand that the problem runs deeper than the British courts simply being ‘sexist’ towards women, hence such serious matters require far more time to be dealt with.
I think overall Eve Was Framed is a successful book that should be read by everyone, regardless of gender and age. This book deserves a wider readership which could then trigger essential differences in the British legal system.