Ruth Adler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 October 1944 Devon, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 18 February 1994(1994-02-18) (aged 49) Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | North London Collegiate School Somerville College, Oxford University of London University of Edinburgh |
| Known for | Child welfare campaigner, human rights campaigner, feminist |
| Children | Jonathan, Benjamin |
Ruth Margaret Adler née Oppenheimer (1 October 1944 – 18 February 1994) was afeminist,human rights campaigner andchild welfare advocate. She was founder ofAmnesty International'sScotland office as their first employee in Scotland in 1991.[1] She was a founding member ofScottish Women's Aid in 1974, a member of theLothian RegionChildren's Panel and she helped to establish the Scottish Child Law Centre.
Ruth's parents Charlotte and Rudolf Oppenheimer came fromGermany toBritain asrefugees in the 1930s. Ruth was born in Devon, where her father was stationed during the war.
Her education began at North London Collegiate School.[2] She studiedPhilosophy, Politics and Economics atSomerville College, Oxford[3] and an MA in philosophy atUniversity of London. She moved to Scotland in the 1960s with her husband and children and became a part-time tutor in the Philosophy Department ofEdinburgh University for many years before gaining a further PhD in Law presenting the thesis, "Rights, interests and reasoning in juvenile justice".[4] She was influenced by her supervisorNeil MacCormick.[citation needed] Adler was bilingual in English and German and, after obtaining her PhD, she and MacCormick collaborated in translating a number of books by leading Czech (Ota Weinberger) and German (Robert Alexy, Guenter Teubner) legal philosophers from German into English.
While working at The Scottish Child Law Centre she helped to create the first comprehensive database of child law in Scotland.[5] She was amagistrate and aJustice of the Peace. From 1987 to 1991 she was responsible for investigating complaints against solicitors[6] as Assistant to the Lay Observer for Scotland.
As a prominent member of the Edinburgh Jewish community she was editor of theEdinburgh Star.[3][7] and Secretary and President (1998) of theEdinburgh Jewish Literary Society.[6]
Adler founded the Scottish office ofAmnesty International in 1991. She worked there until a few days before her death from cancer in 1994, when she was only 49 years old.[2]
The theme of her thesis (1983) is legal intervention in the lives of children.[4] It was published as a book in 1985Taking Juvenile Justice Seriously.[8]
Adler's obituary inThe Independent describes her three passionate concerns:
'Her life was driven by three passionate concerns: for justice, for children and for her family. To all these she brought a formidable intelligence, unflagging energy, extraordinary determination and, above all, generosity of spirit and loving kindness. These passions were to touch the lives of countless people'.[6]
There is a plaque dedicated to Ruth Adler in the garden of University of Edinburgh Day Nursery.[9][10]
University of Edinburgh School of Law sponsor an annual Ruth Adler Memorial Lecture on Human Rights. Prominent speakers includeShami Chakrabarti in 2016;[11]Sir Stephen Sedley (2015) ProfessorChristopher McCrudden (2013) ProfessorConor Gearty (2009).[12]
The Ruth Adler prize is awarded annually to the best student in the Ordinary course Critical Legal Thinking.[13]