Dominican-born Baroness Scot land was the first black female QC in Britain 1991. Already, aged 44, she has had a distinguished legal career.
One of a family of 12 immigrant children, her parents emigrated to have their children educated in Britain's state schools. Nearly all her brothers and sisters have, like her, succeeded in their chosen professions.
She was called to the English Bar in 1977 and is a member of the Antigua Bar. She is a former member of the Commission for Racial Equality and has been a member of the Millennium Commission since 1994. She became a life peer in 1997, and was one of only three black members in the House of Lords. A devout Roman Catholic, is married with two sons.