Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey – The instant Sunday Times bestseller
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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
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‘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.
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‘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
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Additional information
| Publisher | Penguin (2 Mar. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 336 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1804990906 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1804990902 |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 2 x 19.8 cm |
by Rich
You would think the workings of a courtroom might be a dull subject. However, this book looks at a series of real-life cases heard in the Old Bailey and provides insight into how the prosecution and defence work with the judge to deliver justice. By looking at real homicide cases, we understand from different perspectives how the jury is guided to make their decision. The final case will definitely make you gasp with surprise!
by Samantha Holdsworth
Would highly recommend this. So interesting to learn more about the court process and really well written
by Ian Witham
I like books by lawyers because they use language well. This judge does not.
First, she uses “KC”. Those barristers were working during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. At that time they were QCs not King’s Counsels.
Second, she wrote that Daniel lied when he said he’d be back. He did not lie because he intended to be back. He did not come back because he was murdered.
Her stories will appeal to fans of Dragnet.
“These stories are true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty).”
She is proud that she is not an old out of touch White man but I think she is just as out of touch. She thinks the juvenile prisoners were swaggering but I think it was more likely that they were putting on a show for their families, not knowing or caring how it would appear to their victim’s family or the Judge.
If you want to know what happens in an English court and you cannot go to an English court, this is an essential book. She even explains that what happened this year might not be what happened ten years ago.
Please remember, this is a book about the Central Criminal Court. What happened there is not what happens in other courts.
by HughHutch
Don’t let the subject put you off. Brilliantly written insight into a real judges feeling and experience
by Kenneth Barrett
Reading the preface, I was after the first two or three paragraphs gripped by the beautiful writing and the uncanny way it came to life on the page. I read the rest of the book right through within a few days.
It is an extraordinary account which shows how murder trials actually work, how the individuals within the legal system function, how the juries are selected, and how the forensic application of logic can make or break a defence. Also revealed is how the judge will arrive at the sentencing of a person found guilty, a subject that all too often arouses public ire because of perceived softness.
All this is done through the personal account of a number of cases over which the author has presided. A deft storytelling brings to life the barristers, the clerks of the court, and the person in the dock. Each case is prefaced by the crime, and from here we can follow the court proceedings with an advantage that the barristers and the judge did not have.
I learned a lot. I hope this will be followed by other books from Wendy Joseph.
by Jim Robertson
This book gives a superb insight into the workings of the English Criminal High Courts. Through the eyes and mind of the judge the application of the justice system comes into clear focus, the various functions of each constituent part, and the tactics of prosecution and defence are astutely analysed. Beautifully told, the language and concepts are easy to understand, including the frequent dichotomy between the law and justice. This book should be incorporated into the school curriculum throughout the English education system.
by MS
A gripping read which gives an important insight into the procedures and the process of the law in the criminal court. However, it is much more than that. It takes a fine mind to reduce the complexities to a level which is both understandable to the lay person and entertaining. This judge is clearly a humanitarian as well as a lawyer. Many may find that almost impossible to believe, but in her case and in my humble opinion and having read the book, it is impossible not to believe. So now to the important message. Her job was clearly to make a determination based on the evidence and to make judgement by applying the law, but she questions one fundamental issue. What is it about our society which is so lacking that leads to persons becoming involved in criminal activity of such a level of seriousness that they appear in the criminal court in the first place and what can be done to rectify it? So much seems to be wrong but so little seems to be being done about it. It seems to me that the last bastion of sanity seems to be hope, but it’s sometimes difficult to hang on to.
by Lady Dido
Who would have thought that a book about the legal system could be so riveting?
Wendy Joseph QC skilfully constructs sample cases, taken from her own experience as a Crown Court judge, which explore the complexities of the search for justice. It makes for one of the most compelling reads in my considerable repertoire of books.
This author’s style of writing flows easily and is peppered with eloquence, empathy and a subtle dry sense of humour. She brings both the incidents and the courtroom scenes alive. She skilfully presents the fine balance of justice – the agonising navigation between justice for the victim and his/her loved ones, and a fair punishment for the perpetrator, whose background and motivations cannot be simply ignored.
The subjects of the court cases range from gang crime to honour killing. The accused range from a young mother who is dealing with the aftermath of grooming and seduction to a trio of youths who all claim innocence. The cases, and the quest for understanding and justice, are absolutely fascinating. The power of the jury is frightening – but it really is the best we can do.
There is no such thing as a perfect verdict, or a perfect legal process but, having read this book and learned of the diligence and expertise of this particular judge, I am left feeling that, with all its inevitable flaws, the British justice system is one of the best.