THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION 2023 'Wendy Joseph's gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger.' Sunday Times 'Absolutely superb. 5 stars for sheer readability alone. Her Honour entertains as she educates us about murder, about the law and about how we human beings are shaped as we create the culture we live with.' PHILIPPA PERRY, author of THE BOOK YOU WISH YOUR PARENTS HAD READ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 'Every day in the UK lives are suddenly, brutally, wickedly taken away. Victims are shot or stabbed. Less often they are strangled or suffocated or beaten to death. Rarely they are poisoned, pushed off high buildings, drowned or set alight. Then there are the many who are killed by dangerous drivers, or corporate gross negligence. There are a lot of ways you can kill someone. I know because I've seen most of them at close quarters.' High-profile murder cases all too often grab our attention in dramatic media headlines - for every unlawful death tells a story. But, unlike most of us, a judge doesn't get to turn the page and move on. Nor does the defendant, or the family of the victim, nor the many other people who populate the court room. And yet, each of us has a vested interest in what happens there. And while most people have only the sketchiest idea of what happens inside a Crown Court, any one of us could end up in the witness-box or even in the dock. With breath-taking skill and deep compassion, the author describes how cases unfold and illustrates exactly what it's like to be a murder trial judge and a witness to human good and bad. Sometimes very bad. The fracture lines that run through our society are becoming harder and harder to ignore. From a unique vantage point, the author warns that we do so at our peril. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 'The most exceptional book I have read in a long time.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'A very rare gem. written with authority, humility and compassion. Compellingly clever and sharply honest.' PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK, author of ALL THAT REMAINS 'Riveting, thought-provoking, and very, very entertaining. I loved it.' RODDY DOYLE 'Will make you question all the fundamentals that you've come to take for granted about offenders, the crimes that they commit - especially murder - and the punishment they deserve. A page turner that will leave you wanting to know more.' EMERITUS PROFESSOR DAVID WILSON, author of MY LIFE WITH MURDERERS The instant Sunday Times bestseller, March 2023
Four gripping stories from the Old Bailey that force us to consider: What is justice? Do our legal courts dispense it? Has our judicial process improved, for the victims, the accused and for society? And what more must be done to ensure genuine justice is carried out in future? 'A compelling read' Lady Hale ‘Joseph is a deft deployer of suspense and nuance’ Sunday Times ‘Her Honour entertains as she educates us’ Philippa Perry 'Beautifully written, immensely engaging, powerful and disturbing insight into a judge’s work and the choices faced.' Peter James ‘If ever I was on trial I would want my judge to be this one.’ Cherie Blair, CBE KC Following on the heels of her bestseller Unlawful Killings, Old Bailey judge Wendy Joseph KC skilfully reconstructs courtroom dramas affecting society’s most vulnerable, drawing on her many years’ experience as a murder trial judge, and asking the key questions of the institutions tasked to deliver what is right and fair. From the trial of a child charged with disposing of dismembered body parts, to the woman accused of killing her own husband, Joseph is utterly compelling as she sets out how our justice system works. But, as she compares these modern courtroom tales with eerily similar cases and miscarriages of justice from years ago, might the most chilling story of all be that the lessons of the past have yet to be learned? Incisive, masterfully crafted, Rough Justice illuminates the struggles of any one of us caught up in our legal system – but particularly the marginalized and the easily exploited – and grapples with the concept of ‘justice for all’ so that we might demand better. ‘The author's wit and wisdom deserve as wide an audience as possible.’ His Honour David Radford ‘An author who uses hindsight to contemplate foresight whilst generating genuine insight.’ Professor Dame Sue Black 'The criminal law has found its voice: quiet, determined, steely, and yet always humane.’ Justin Webb 'A riveting front-line account of our beleaguered courts...Told with clarity and eloquence, it distils an arcane subject with the vigor and pace of a legal thriller.' Kia Abdullah .......................................................................................................... Praise for Unlawful Killings: 'The most exceptional book I have read in a long time.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'Absolutely superb. 5 stars' PHILIPPA PERRY, author of THE BOOK YOU WISH YOUR PARENTS HAD READ 'A very rare gem. written with authority, humility and compassion. Compellingly clever and sharply honest.' PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK, author of ALL THAT REMAINS 'Wendy Joseph's gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger.' Sunday Times 'A gripping insight ... beautifully crafted ... grim tales lifted by humour and honesty.' The Times 'Her writing is characterized by analytical precision, but it is also a book of great empathy and urgency... A fine book.'' TLS 'Riveting, thought-provoking, and very, very entertaining. I loved it.' RODDY DOYLE 'Will make you question all the fundamentals that you've come to take for granted about offenders, the crimes that they commit - especially murder - and the punishment they deserve. A page turner that will leave you wanting to know more.' EMERITUS PROFESSOR DAVID WILSON, author of MY LIFE WITH MURDERERS
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION 2023 'Wendy Joseph's gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger.' Sunday Times 'Absolutely superb. 5 stars for sheer readability alone. Her Honour entertains as she educates us about murder, about the law and about how we human beings are shaped as we create the culture we live with.' PHILIPPA PERRY, author of THE BOOK YOU WISH YOUR PARENTS HAD READ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 'Every day in the UK lives are suddenly, brutally, wickedly taken away. Victims are shot or stabbed. Less often they are strangled or suffocated or beaten to death. Rarely they are poisoned, pushed off high buildings, drowned or set alight. Then there are the many who are killed by dangerous drivers, or corporate gross negligence. There are a lot of ways you can kill someone. I know because I've seen most of them at close quarters.' High-profile murder cases all too often grab our attention in dramatic media headlines - for every unlawful death tells a story. But, unlike most of us, a judge doesn't get to turn the page and move on. Nor does the defendant, or the family of the victim, nor the many other people who populate the court room. And yet, each of us has a vested interest in what happens there. And while most people have only the sketchiest idea of what happens inside a Crown Court, any one of us could end up in the witness-box or even in the dock. With breath-taking skill and deep compassion, the author describes how cases unfold and illustrates exactly what it's like to be a murder trial judge and a witness to human good and bad. Sometimes very bad. The fracture lines that run through our society are becoming harder and harder to ignore. From a unique vantage point, the author warns that we do so at our peril. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 'The most exceptional book I have read in a long time.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'A very rare gem. written with authority, humility and compassion. Compellingly clever and sharply honest.' PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK, author of ALL THAT REMAINS 'Riveting, thought-provoking, and very, very entertaining. I loved it.' RODDY DOYLE 'Will make you question all the fundamentals that you've come to take for granted about offenders, the crimes that they commit - especially murder - and the punishment they deserve. A page turner that will leave you wanting to know more.' EMERITUS PROFESSOR DAVID WILSON, author of MY LIFE WITH MURDERERS The instant Sunday Times bestseller, March 2023
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