Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey - The instant Sunday Times bestseller

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Justin Schlosberg, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Iain Dale Chaired by Stephen Law Oxford Debate. Is Our Press Free . . . To Lie and Manipulate? SOLD OUT Oxford Martin School: Lecture Theatre 4:00pm Fri 31 Friday, 31 March 2023 See this event Unfortunately, this did not really land for me. Joseph QC has written a great book here, one which ought to be recommended to all first year Law students, and those considering a career in Law. It does a good job of covering basic principles in the criminal law of murder, but goes no further. In some ways, Joseph QC satisfies the job she set out to establish. It is an effective piece, with a good deal of suspense and provides insight into a judges role. However this is a rather basic, limited insight, with more in the way of entertainment than analysis. Moreover the fictionalised, hodgepodge stories, for me, felt intangible, because the writing made them seem like heightened reality, rather than facts as they might appear in court. Wendy’s career in the law forms a perfect and inspiring arc of achievement; a girl from Cardiff with a love of English Literature (which she read at Cambridge until changing to law in her final year) who, in 2012, became only the third ever full-time female judge at the Old Bailey, after Nina Lowry in the late 80s and 90s, and Anne Goddard QC in the late 90s and early 2000s. She lost her father while still at school and her mum was nervous that the Bar was a poor choice of career, given the imperative of ‘needing to earn a living’.

Unlawful Killings by Wendy Joseph - Penguin Books Australia

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 The explanations are naturally made in the main by examining a number of different murder cases which the judge was at pains to explain are an amalgamation of trials she has sat in on, rather than individual cases. Elias Chacour Interviewed by Diarmaid MacCulloch A Palestinian Christian Working for Peace and Reconciliation in Israel CANCELLED Bodleian: Divinity School 2:00pm Fri 31 Friday, 31 March 2023 See this eventThe cases that are written about are intriguing and I found myself desperate to discover the outcome of each one. The author explains each one in a manner that is empathetic and factual. 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 Fast-moving, hugely absorbing and at times emotionally draining, Wendy Joseph is a born storyteller for whom a complete understanding of the law and how it applies to deeply harrowing and disturbing murder cases never wavers. John Benjamin A gripping account of the law that reads like a cliffhanger' ( Sunday Times) The heart-stopping inside story of six murder trials from an Old Bailey judge, exploring why we kill, what happens at trial and what we can learn about the society in which we live. The book is structured in a very accessible way, even to people with absolutely no experience of criminal law or legal procedure in any form. She has constructed a series of fictional cases, built from her experiences of hearing hundreds of real cases, to demonstrate different aspects of the crimes of murder and manslaughter, what the law is, how it is applied and how verdicts and sentences are reached. The author explains in straightforward, easily understood language the facts of each case, what evidence is brought forward in support of the case, the defence presented and how the judge instructs the jury and how sentence is passed. For anyone who is interested in more detail of the law being applied, there are detailed appendices which you can consult for further reading but, if that’s not your bag, you don’t need to go into that much depth to understand the points being made.

From Bard to Bar to Bench: HH Wendy Joseph KC

It seems morally wrong as well as personally disturbing to say I loved a book with such a gruesome subject matter so, instead, I’ll say that it was absolutely fascinating and illuminating, even to someone who has studied criminal law. Written by former barrister and judge, Her Honour Wendy Joseph QC, from her perspective as a presiding judge in cases heard at the most famous criminal court in the world, the Old Bailey, it gives a revealing peek behind the curtain into a world that very few people ever get to see.The night in Oxford was the most beautiful event I have ever done. Not just the spectacular setting (of the Sheldonian), but an unforgettable evening. Fascinating, propulsive and beautifully written, this is an extraordinary insight into the heart and mind of a judge as they witness the best and worst of humanity. I couldn't put it down. -- Sarah Langford, author of In Your Defence