Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey

Description

An Old Bailey murder trial judge unpicks six extraordinary cases and explores why we kill, what happens at trial and what we can learn about the society in which we live. Only at the Old Bailey is the murder trial the staple diet of a judge. The author has presided over many of the high-profile cases that all too often grab our attention in dramatic media headlines. 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.

Until March 2022 Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC was a judge at the Old Bailey, sitting on criminal cases, trying mainly allegations of murder and other homicide. She read English and Law at Cambridge, was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1975, became a QC in 1998 and sat as a full-time judge from 2007 to 2022. When she moved to the Old Bailey in 2012 she was the only woman amongst sixteen judges, and only the third woman ever to hold a permanent position there. She was also a Diversity and Community Relations Judge, working to promote understanding between the judiciary and many different sectors of our community, particularly those from less privileged and minority groups. She mentors young people, from a variety of backgrounds, who hope for a career in law and has a special interest in helping women. Unlawful Killings is her first book.

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 Fresh, compelling, well-written and unflinchingly authentic. -- Emily Penninck * the i newspaper * I really enjoyed this book. If ever I was on trial I would want my judge to be this one. She is compassionate, in control and understands the reality that exists outside the courtroom. Anyone who has worked in the Crown Court would recognise how true to life the court room scenes are. The fictional crime scenarios make compelling stories. What is unique is that they are placed in a wider context which challenges the assumptions that lie behind our criminal justice policy. A great read for those who want to understand how the system works now and why it is going wrong. -- Cherie Blair CBE QC I inhaled this: brilliant, clear-eyed, compassionate and fascinating. -- Olivia Potts, author of A Half Baked Idea The most exceptional book I've read in a long time. As a police officer in a former life I was mostly terrified of judges, so it was incredible to have this glimpse behind the pomp and ceremony of criminal court. Readers will be intrigued by the insight into the mechanics of the law, but what really makes this sing is its humanity. I was moved to tears on more than one occasion, and am heartened to know there is such compassion among our judges. -- Clare Mackintosh A gripping, disturbing and deeply humane exploration of the darkest side of the human condition, from a judge who has seen it all. I devoured Unlawful Killings in a single sitting. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- The Secret Barrister Beautifully written and utterly gripping. -- Joshua Rozenberg * A Lawyer Writes * JUNE'S BOOK OF THE MONTH: Exceptional ... a riveting and revelatory work. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller * A superb work providing the reader with a truly authentic judicial insight into the human stories and legal and forensic framework that constitute today's criminal trials of those accused of unlawfully killing another human being. It is permeated too with clearsighted analysis of the backstory to such killings, whether that be the pull of street gangs, the blight of domestic violence, the tragedy of death on our roads or the infliction of violence said to have been caused by mental illness or the ill temper of those with a disordered personality. The author's wit and wisdom deserve as wide an audience as possible. -- His Honour David Radford A very rare gem. An author who uses hindsight to contemplate foresight whilst generating genuine insight. The book is written with authority, humility and compassion. Compellingly clever and sharply honest. -- Professor Dame Sue Black