Under the Wig

'GRIPPING' - The Times

How can you speak up for someone accused of a savage murder? Or sway a jury? Or get a judge to drop a case?

In this memoir, murder case lawyer William Clegg revisits his most intriguing trials, from the acquittal of Colin Stagg to the shooting of Jill Dando, to the man given life because of an earprint.

All the while he lays bare the secrets of his profession, from the rivalry among barristers to the nervous moments before a verdict comes back, and how our right to a fair trial is now at risk.

Under the Wig is for anyone who wants to know the reality of a murder trial. It has been praised as "gripping" by The Times, "riveting" by the Sunday Express, and "fascinating" by the Secret Barrister, who described the author as "one of our country's greatest jury advocates."

Several prominent barristers, including Matthew Scott and Bob Marshall-Andrews QC, have said Under the Wig is a "must read" for anyone with an interest in the criminal law. Switch off the TV dramas and see real criminal law in action.

Well-known cases featured:

• The Murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common
• The Chillenden Murders (Dr Lin and Megan Russell)
• The Trial of Private Lee Clegg
• The Murder of Jill Dando
• The first Nazi war crimes prosecution in the UK
• The Murder of Joanna Yeates
• The Rebekah Brooks Phone Hacking Trial

REVIEWS

'This is a gripping memoir from one of our country's greatest jury advocates, offering a fascinating, no-holds-barred tour behind the scenes of some of the most famous criminal cases of modern times.'

- The Secret Barrister

'Countless veteran lawyers have produced page-turners based in the fictional world of law, but in Under the Wig William Clegg, QC, has distilled his extraordinary life in the criminal courtroom into a yarn equally as gripping.'

- The Times

'One of England's best barristers provides a fascinating, sometimes hilarious combination of a personal odyssey and insider accounts of the most important and famous court cases of recent times.'

'From the infamous case of Colin Stagg and the Wimbledon Murders to war crimes in Belarus and Bosnia and the Murdoch phone hacking trials, we share and applaud the author's deep commitment to justice and his infectious enthusiasm for one of the world's greatest professions. An absolute must-read for anyone who aspires to join it (and anyone who already has.)'

- Bob Marshall-Andrews QC

'Bill Clegg's memoir draws on some of the most high-profile criminal prosecutions of recent years to illuminate the career of a defence lawyer at the peak of his success.'