Brenda Hale is quintessentially English, from the tip of her shiny black shoes to the brooch that always graces her right shoulder – not to forget her cheery English trill. She possesses intelligence, quick wit and a cutting analytical mind – qualities found in generous measure in England. And so, like others, I will always think of her first and foremost as English.

But I also think of Lady Hale as an internationalist – to coin a phrase, a woman of the world.

I am Canadian. As Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (retired 2017), I came to know Lady Hale through her many trips to Canada. Despite her heavy case load, she seldom declined an invitation to participate in exchanges between the two Supreme Courts, legal colloquia and celebrations of Canadian judicial milestones – particularly those marking the achievements of the wide circle of women judges she befriended in this country. And Canada wasn’t the only foreign country she came to know well; she was continually making similar visits to countries all around the globe.