Unlawful Killings

Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey

Her Honour Wendy Joseph, QC

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Paperback

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English

Penguin (Transworld)
02 April 2023

Memoirs; True crime; Crime & criminology

'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.

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 her unique vantage point, Wendy Joseph QC warns that we do so at our peril.

By: Her Honour Wendy Joseph QC
Imprint: Penguin (Transworld)
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 234g
ISBN: 9781804990902
ISBN 10: 1804990906
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 02 April 2023
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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. Her first book, Unlawful Killings, won the Crime Writer's Association 'Gold Dagger' for Non-fiction and was a Sunday Times bestseller.

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

Judge Wendy Joseph's gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger ... Joseph is a deft deployer of suspense and nuance ... She is funny too, with a keen eye for the absurdities of the human condition -- Kathryn Hughes * Sunday Times * 'UNLAWFUL KILLINGS reads like a really terrific novel. It is riveting, thought-provoking, and very, very entertaining. I loved it.' -- Roddy Doyle 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 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 Fresh, compelling, well-written and unflinchingly authentic. -- Emily Penninck * the i newspaper *