Women Judges

Throughout history, there have been many women judges who have made significant contribution. The list includes many familiar and great female such as Judith Sheindlin, Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Jeanine Pirro. The women featured in this list are from United States, United Kingdom, Canada, India and many more countries.
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 1 
Jeanine Pirro
(American Conservative Television Host and A Former New York State Judge)
Jeanine Pirro
5
Birthdate: June 2, 1951
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Elmira, New York, United States

Jeanine Pirro is an American TV host and author. Over the years, she has made important contributions to The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, a syndicated morning talk show. As a former prosecutor and New York State judge, Jeanine Pirro played an important role in several cases involving crimes against the elderly and domestic abuse.

 2 
Sonia Sotomayor
(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States )
Sonia Sotomayor
9
Birthdate: June 5, 1954
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States

Sonia Sotomayor, the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of America, entered the record books when in August 2009 she became the first Hispanic and the fourth woman to be appointed to the court. She’s a strong defendant of the rights of accused and has raised her voice against misdemeanors by the police and the prosecutors, and abuses in prisons.

 3 
Sandra Day O’Connor
(The First Female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)
Sandra Day O’Connor
6
Birthdate: March 26, 1930
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: El Paso, Texas, United States

Sandra Day O’Connor is a retired attorney who became the first woman to serve as the associate justice of the Supreme Court of the US when she took office in 1981. While serving as the associate justice, O’Connor was considered one of the most powerful women in the world. In 2009, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom

 4 
Judith Sheindlin
(TV personality)
Judith Sheindlin
9
Birthdate: October 21, 1942
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Judith Sheindlin is a prosecution lawyer, television personality, and author. Since 1996, she has been presiding over her own arbitration reality court show Judge Judy, which has won four Daytime Emmy Awards. The longest-serving judge in the history of the courtroom-themed program, Judith Sheindlin was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy for her work.

 5 
Elena Kagan
(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)
Elena Kagan
5
Birthdate: April 28, 1960
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

The fourth woman to become part of the Supreme Court of the United States as its member, Elena Kagan was nominated by Barack Obama in 2010 to serve as an Associate Justice of the Court. She played a major role in the Cooper v. Harris case by writing the majority opinion of the case.

 6 
Marilyn Milian
(Judge, TV personality)
Marilyn Milian
6
Birthdate: May 1, 1961
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Astoria, New York, United States
 7 
Miriam Defensor Santiago
(The First Filipina to be an International Criminal Court Judge)
Miriam Defensor Santiago
4
Birthdate: June 15, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Iloilo City
Died: September 29, 2016

Known for her legal expertise and her resolve to fight corruption, Miriam Defensor Santiago also became the first Filipina and the first from an Asian developing country to serve as a judge of the International Criminal Court. The senator was also a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient and died of lung cancer.

 8 
Lynn Toler
(Judge)
Lynn Toler
5
Birthdate: October 25, 1959
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States
 9 
Carrie Lam
(Politician)
Carrie Lam
10
Birthdate: May 13, 1957
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wan Chai, Hong Kong, England

Carrie Lam is a Hong Kong politician who has been serving as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 2017. From 2007 to 2012, she served as the Secretary for Development. From 2012 to 2017, Lam was the Chief Secretary for Administration. A controversial leader, Carrie Lam's administration witnessed the criminalization of the Hong Kong National Party.

 10 
Amy Coney Barrett
(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)
Amy Coney Barrett
5
Birthdate: January 28, 1972
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
 11 
Maryanne Trump Barry
(Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit from 2011 to 2019)
Maryanne Trump Barry
4
Birthdate: April 5, 1937
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Attorney Maryanne Trump Barry, eldest sister of American president Donald Trump, is a former U.S. federal judge. She was an assistant U.S. attorney earlier and has been a judge of the U.S. District of New Jersey. Bill Clinton appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
 12 
Anita Hill
(American Lawyer Who in 1991 Accused U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas of Sexual Harassment)
Anita Hill
4
Birthdate: July 30, 1956
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lone Tree, Oklahoma, United States
 13 
Mablean Ephriam
(Lawyer, Judge)
Mablean Ephriam
3
Birthdate: April 23, 1949
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hazlehurst
 14 
Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond
(British Judge Who Served as President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom)
Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond
5
Birthdate: January 31, 1945
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Leeds, England

Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, is a British judge. In 2004, she became the first woman to be appointed as a Law Lord in the House of Lords. In 2017, Brenda Hale became the first woman to serve as the president of the United Kingdom's Supreme Court, a position which she served until her retirement in 2020.

 15 
Beverley McLachlin
(17th Chief Justice of Canada)
Beverley McLachlin
3
Birthdate: September 7, 1943
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Pincher Creek, Canada
 16 
Kimba Wood
(Judge)
Kimba Wood
3
Birthdate: January 21, 1944
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Port Townsend, Washington
 17 
Conchita Carpio-Morales
(Judge, Lawyer)
Conchita Carpio-Morales
3
Birthdate: June 19, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paoay
 18 
Louise Arbour
(Judge, Lawyer, Diplomat, University teacher)
Louise Arbour
3
Birthdate: February 10, 1947
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Montreal

Louise Arbour is a Canadian lawyer, jurist, and prosecutor. She made history when she indicted Slobodan Milošević for war crimes; Milošević became the first sitting head of state to be summoned before an international court. Arbour's attempt to indict Bosnian Serb war criminals inspired a 2005 TV film titled Hunt for Justice, where Louise Arbour was played by Wendy Crewson.

 19 
Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Baroness Butler-Sloss
(Judge, Politician, Lawyer)
Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Baroness Butler-Sloss
3
Birthdate: August 10, 1933
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Buckinghamshire

Born into a family of lawyers and being the daughter of a High Court judge, Elizabeth Butler-Sloss was destined to take up law as a profession. She not only became the fourth female High Court judge but was also the first female Lord Justice of Appeal.

 20 
Jacqueline Nguyen
(Judge)
Jacqueline Nguyen
3
Birthdate: May 25, 1965
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Da Lat
 21 
Rosalie Abella
(Judge)
Rosalie Abella
3
Birthdate: July 1, 1946
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Stuttgart
 22 
Manuela Carmena
(Former Spanish Lawyer and Judge)
Manuela Carmena
3
Birthdate: February 9, 1944
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
 23 
Navi Pillay
(Former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda)
Navi Pillay
3
Birthdate: September 23, 1941
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Durban, South Africa

Navi Pillay is a South African jurist known for serving as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. She is of Indian Tamil origin and was the first non-white woman judge of the High Court of South Africa. She has also served as the president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

 24 
Jane Bolin
(American judge)
Jane Bolin
2
Birthdate: April 11, 1908
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
Died: January 8, 2007
 25 
Elke Budenbender
(Judge)
Elke Budenbender
2
Birthdate: January 14, 1962
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Weidenau, West Germany
 26 
Rose Bird
(Chief Justice)
Rose Bird
2
Birthdate: November 2, 1936
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tucson, Arizona, United States
Died: December 4, 1999
 27 
Diane Humetewa
(First Native American woman and enrolled tribal member to serve as a federal judge)
Diane Humetewa
2
Birthdate: December 5, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
 28 
Diane Wood
(Judge, Lawyer)
Diane Wood
3
Birthdate: July 4, 1950
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: judge
 29 
Francesca Morvillo
(Magistrate)
Francesca Morvillo
2
Birthdate: December 14, 1945
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Palermo, Italy
Died: May 23, 1992

Francesca Morvillo was an Italian magistrate. In 1992, Morvillo became the first and only woman magistrate to be assassinated in Italy; she was killed alongside her husband Giovanni Falcone by the Sicilian Mafia. Her funeral was aired live on national television and a day of mourning was declared by the Parliament.

 30 
Margarita Robles
(Spanish Politician and Judge)
Margarita Robles
2
Birthdate: November 10, 1956
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: León, Spain León, Spain
 31 
Pilar Llop
(Spanish Politician and Judge)
Pilar Llop
3
Birthdate: August 3, 1973
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
 32 
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot
(First Female Provisional President of Haiti)
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot
2
Birthdate: August 13, 1943
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pétion-Ville, Haiti

Initially a lawyer and the first female justice at the Supreme Court of Haiti, Ertha Pascal-Trouillot later rose to be Haiti’s first provisional female president. Her main task as the provisional president was to prepare Haiti for the elections, while coordinating with the 19-member Council of State.

 33 
Esperanza Aguirre
(Spanish Politician)
Esperanza Aguirre
2
Birthdate: January 3, 1952
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Madrid, Francoist Spain Spain
 34 
Philomena Mbete Mwilu
(Lawyer, Judge)
Philomena Mbete Mwilu
2
Birthdate: April 15, 1958
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kenya
 35 
Eva Joly
(Norwegian-born French Magistrate and Politician)
Eva Joly
2
Birthdate: December 5, 1943
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Oslo

Eva Joly is a Norwegian-born French magistrate and politician. An important member of Europe Écologie–The Greens, Joly represented the party as a presidency candidate of France in 2012. A popular politician, Eva Joly has also received prestigious awards such as the Peer Gynt Prize and the Sophie Prize.

 36 
Esther Hobart Morris
(First Woman Justice of the Peace in the United States)
Esther Hobart Morris
2
Birthdate: August 8, 1814
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Spencer, New York, United States
Died: April 2, 1902

Esther Hobart McQuigg Slack Morris, the US’s first female judge, was a prominent suffragist who made it possible for women of Wyoming to gain their voting rights. She left New York, since the city’s laws didn’t let her own property after her first husband’s death.

 37 
Martha Griffiths
(Lawyer)
Martha Griffiths
2
Birthdate: January 29, 1912
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pierce City, Missouri, United States
Died: April 22, 2003
 38 
Carolyn Dineen King
(Judge, Lawyer)
Carolyn Dineen King
2
Birthdate: January 30, 1938
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Syracuse
 39 
Sophia Akuffo
(Chief Justice of Ghana)
Sophia Akuffo
2
Birthdate: December 20, 1949
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Akropong-Akuapem
 40 
Maite Oronoz Rodríguez
(Judge)
Maite Oronoz Rodríguez
2
Birthdate: 1976 AD
Birthplace: Puerto Rico
 41 
Njoki Susanna Ndung'u
(Judge, Lawyer)
Njoki Susanna Ndung'u
1
Birthdate: September 20, 1965
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kenya
 42 
Bertha Wilson
(Jurist)
Bertha Wilson
1
Birthdate: September 18, 1923
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Died: April 28, 2007
 43 
Birtukan Mideksa
(Ethiopian Politician and Chairperson of the National Election Board of Ethiopia)
Birtukan Mideksa
1
Birthdate: 1974 AD
Birthplace: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ethiopian politician Birtukan Mideksa began her career as a judge. She chairs the National Election Board of Ethiopia and is a founder-leader of the party Unity for Democracy and Justice. She has spent 7 years in exile in the US after being jailed in Ethiopia for voting irregularities in the 2005 election.

 44 
Roma Mitchell
(Lawyer)
Roma Mitchell
1
Birthdate: October 2, 1913
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
Died: March 5, 2000

Roma Mitchell was an Australian lawyer and judge. She became the first woman to hold a number of positions in Australia, including the country’s first female judge. She was also the first woman to be a Queen's Counsel and the governor of an Australian state. She was a pioneer of the Australian women's rights movement as well.

 45 
Rosemary Barkett
(Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit)
Rosemary Barkett
0
Birthdate: August 29, 1939
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico
 46 
Raja Nicola
(Sudanese Judge Who Served as a Member of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan)
Raja Nicola
1
Birthdate: 1950 AD
Birthplace: Omdurman, Sudan

Sudanese judge Raja Nicola was chosen by the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Transitional Military Council (TMC) as their mutually agreed-on sixth civilian member of the eleven-member Sovereignty Council of Sudan that remained Sudan’s collective head of state from August 20, 2019 till October 25, 2021. Nicola was one of the two female members of the council.

 47 
Unity Dow
(Lawyer, judge and politician)
Unity Dow
0
Birthdate: April 23, 1959
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Mochudi, Bechuanaland Protectorate
 48 
Nazhat Shameem
(Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations since 2014)
Nazhat Shameem
0
Birthdate: 1960 AD
Birthplace: Fiji
 49 
Joyce Bamford-Addo
(Judge)
Joyce Bamford-Addo
1
Birthdate: March 26, 1937
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Accra, Gold Coast
 50 
Neringa Venckienė
(Member of the 11th Seimas of Lithuania (2012 - 2014))
Neringa Venckienė
1
Birthdate: May 21, 1971
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kaunas, Lithuania

Former Lithuanian judge Neringa Venckienė was part of the 11th Seimas of Lithuania. The Way of Courage party leader was in the middle of a huge controversy regarding the custody of her brother’s daughter, who was apparently molested in a case that led to the murders of several people.