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. The 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. I found this to be an informative read and highly interesting. The author gives us real insight into her role as a judge and takes the time to discuss aspects of the law that readers are unlikely to be familiar with. 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. I learnt a great deal from this book, and from Her Honour. There were aspects of the law that surprised me, especially the explanation about the verdicts of guilty and not-guilty and how no one ever tried by a jury is found 'innocent', as there is no such verdict in England and Wales. A verdict of not-guilty only means that the prosecution has not made the jury sure of guilt. Even if a jury concludes the defendant is very probably guilty, they must return a verdict of 'not guilty' - because 'very probably' is not 'sure'. I have thought about this so many time since I read it. It's basic and straight forward, but I'm guessing that many people don't know this, or consider it.

I've been a fan of crime thrillers and detective novels for years. I love the thrill of the chase, working out 'whodunnit' and seeing the criminal being arrested and lead to the cells at the end. But what happens after that? In Unlawful Killings, Wendy Joseph takes the reader through six different murder trials that she has presided over as Judge and explains calmly, clearly and with great compassion what happened to the victims and what happens in a trial to the perpetrators of these terrible crimes. How does a jury get selected? What evidence will be presented, what is withheld? What guidance is provided when the jury go to deliberate their decision? All is revealed in this excellent book. I have been talking about this book pretty much non-stop since I read it! If anyone has any connections to the author and could ask her if she would come to my university to deliver a talk on criminal law to our students, I would be so grateful!

Retailers:

Having recently sat as a Juror, I can state, first hand, that it is nothing like you see on the TV. Countless hours of waiting around to be called, a slow, almost pedestrian look through the evidence (in this case not murder but still very nasty), and with none of the high energy 'gotcha' reveals that you may have been used to seeing on old episodes of Perry Mason. The author very clearly dispels this myth in her narrative, but also takes us behind the scenes of the things we might not witness as jurors. All those moments of lawyerly wrangling that cannot be shared with the jury for fear of prejudicing the outcome. Using a very down to earth, often humorous, tone that always carries that edge and gravitas you might expect from a Judge, Her Honour Wendy Joseph delivers candid and very astute observations of the entire process, dissecting not only the salient parts of the case, but the legal teams, the witnesses, the defendants and even the jury, really making you feel like you are there in the public gallery watching proceedings.

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.And I can't get the story of the parents who killed their daughter out of my head due to the two kids involved. The fact that the mother and father were willing to allow their daughter to be ripped apart but not their son is disgusting. The utter sexism is hard to stomach, both the murder of the older daughter and the treatment of the younger daughter. And the fact the mother got a lawyer who is well known for ripping witnesses apart nastily and she was okay with her younger daughter going through that. And the fact that the mother was set free and took custody of them both again. I can't imagine that this didn't break the kids mentally. The boy witnessed the death. Your mother obviously loves her son more than her daughter and that would impact the girls mental psyche. And having to live with someone who all probably helped murder your sister. Both kids were utterly traumatised. I hope they got therapy. It's awful situation all around. I hope they grew up okay but probably not. I hope they are happy. Utterly heartbreaking situation.