The Women of the Year lunch and Foundation welcomes Helena Kennedy as its new president.

Helena is one of Britain's most distinguished lawyers. She has spent her professional life giving voice to those who have least power within the system, championing civil liberties and promoting human rights.

She has received honours for her work on human rights from the governments of France and Italy and has been awarded more than thirty honorary doctorates.

She was elevated to the House of Lords in 1997 where she argues with passion, wit and humanity for social justice. She actively supports a number of charities and has also written and broadcast on a wide range of issues, from medical negligence to terrorism to the rights of women and children.