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Unlawful Killings

Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey
By Her Honour Wendy Joseph
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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,739 ratings, 240 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Unlawful Killings by Her Honour Wendy Joseph is an insightful exploration into the world of criminal justice. Through her experiences as a judge, Joseph takes readers on a journey behind the scenes of murder trials, revealing the complexities and human elements involved in the courtroom. The narrative provides a gripping and detailed account of the judicial process, without compromising sensitive case details.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by true crime and the workings of the British legal system. It offers an insider's perspective into real-life murder trials, told with compelling insights from a judge who has seen it all.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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 courtroom.

And yet, each of us has a vested interest in what happens there. 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.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Unlawful Killings by Her Honour Wendy Joseph is praised for its gripping and suspenseful narrative that reads like a novel. Reviewers highlight Joseph's keen insight into the law and the human condition, her deft use of suspense, and her humorous touch. The book is described as riveting, thought-provoking, and educational, providing an extraordinary insight into the mind of a judge.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781804990902

Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 March 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin (Transworld)

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 234g

Pages: 336

Collections

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About the Author

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.

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