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Unlawful Killings
Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey | Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC
3 posts | 3 read | 2 to read
'Wendy Joseph's gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger.' Sunday Times '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 ___________________________________________________________________________________ 'Every day in the UK lives are suddenly, brutally, wickedly taken away. Victims are shot or stabbed. Less often they are strangled or suffocated or beaten to death. Rarely they are poisoned, pushed off high buildings, drowned or set alight. Then there are the many who are killed by dangerous drivers, or corporate gross negligence. There are a lot of ways you can kill someone. I know because I've seen most of them at close quarters.' 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 a unique vantage point, the author warns that we do so at our peril. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 'The most exceptional book I have read in a long time.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'A very rare gem. written with authority, humility and compassion. Compellingly clever and sharply honest.' PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK, author of ALL THAT REMAINS 'Riveting, thought-provoking, and very, very entertaining. I loved it.' RODDY DOYLE 'Will make you question all the fundamentals that you've come to take for granted about offenders, the crimes that they commit - especially murder - and the punishment they deserve. A page turner that will leave you wanting to know more.' EMERITUS PROFESSOR DAVID WILSON, author of MY LIFE WITH MURDERERS
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Itchyfeetreader
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I started this with the expectation it would be a non fiction I dipped in and out of. Instead I found myself seeking opportunities to read. The judge who has written this has done a phenomenal job of explaining our legal system with all of its benefits and flaws. She does this via the medium of a school visit to her court at the Old Bailey and then 6 composite cases / I could easily have red another 6. Insightful, painful and thought provoking. ⬇️

Itchyfeetreader I try hard to keep my politics off Litsy but reading this as we change governments has been particularly powerful. The author highlights so many flaws in our civic system that leads to the cases she sees I want to have more hope for the future 5mo
TieDyeDude Sounds very interesting, and I like the narrative framework of a school visit. 5mo
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DGRachel
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The 2023 ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction award winner. The beginning of this book was a slog and I nearly bailed. I‘m glad I stuck with it, though, as once we reached actual cases, the pacing and writing became much more captivating. The format of the crime, followed by the trial and explanation of the law involved, was perfect. It‘s definitely worth the dull introduction.

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Cazxxx
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The author is a judge who gives us an in depth look at some of the most high profile murder cases that have been tried at the Old Bailey.
I found this hard to put down as it reads very much like fiction and is fast paced. A lot of the cases are extremely sad and gives us a look at the complexities of crime, justice, family and society in general
Trigger warnings for most things as it doesn‘t shy away from details
4 ⭐️

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