Pearlman read for the bar in late 1950s with just 10 other women and when she was sworn in as a judge at the age of 48, she was among only 13 women on the circuit bench.[3] She worked on family law at Southwark Crown Court.[4] In 1999, she made legal history by concluding a criminal trial over the Internet.[5] The fraud trial ended while she was at St Bartholomew's Hospital with a broken leg.[6] With an internet connection she was able to make contact from her hospital bed via fax machine and video link.[7] She also dealt with cases involving drugs[8] and violent crime.[9][10] In 2002, she passed the first ever sentence for theft of a mobile phone.[3] She was on the south eastern circuit.[11] Pearlman was awarded a CBE in 2008.[12]
Death
Pearlman died on 13 August 2025, at the age of 89.[13] She was described as a trailblazer in the legal profession.[14]
