She has dealt with many high-profile cases, including the inquest into the death of Christopher Alder, who died in custody at Hull police station in 1998.

She also represented Donna Tinker, who successfully appealed against her conviction for murder after fatally stabbing her abusive husband at their home in Harrogate in 1999.

Ruth has also been involved in the case of Guiseley nurse Helen Smith, who died in mysterious circumstances in Saudi Arabia in 1979 and the trial of 12 young Asian men from Bradford in 1982 who successfully argued they were acting in self defence when they made petrol bombs to use against racists.

Essex-born Ruth, 61, lost her husband Turhan to a heart attack two years ago.


The one thing I couldn't live without are my friends and clients. Over the years many clients have become friends and vice versa.

The best thing about Leeds is Chapeltown. There is a real sense of community and solidarity here. It's a very warm and vibrant place to live.

I've been involved with generations of families and I love being able to walk down the street and greet people.

My biggest regret is the demolition of the Hayfield pub (the pub was closed in 2002 after police said it had become a centre for drug-dealing and violent crime).

It was a great meeting place where you would always find someone you knew. At Christmas and New Year especially it was so full of life.

To demolish it and have nothing to put in its place was a real mistake.

My first job was fighting discrimination at the then Race Relations Board.

I found it increasingly frustrating because the organisation didn't have the teeth to make changes in people's lives.

I kept having to say to clients, 'You really need a lawyer'. So in the end I decided to take voluntary redundancy and retrain in law.

When I want to relax I go somewhere sunny.

We work hard and put in long hours in this job so it's good to get away, even if it's just for two or three days.

I'm a great advocate of Jet2 – I've just got back from Murcia in Spain.

Going to the sun refreshes my spirit, which you need every now and then.

I grew up with sisters who were 10 and 11 years older than me, so I was teased mercilessly.

We didn't have a lot in common when I was young and it was like having two aunts.

But by my late teens and 20s we had a really good relationship. I still see a lot of my sister Jane, who lives in Cornwall. Sadly my oldest sister Sarah died of cancer.

The best piece of advice I've ever received was to live one day at a time, which came from my mother.

My father was in banking until my mother became very ill with cancer. He left his job to look after her. She died when I was 16.

I think as she became very ill she would naturally become worried about what was to come, and about all of us.