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

Wendy Joseph (Author of Unlawful Killings) - Goodreads Wendy Joseph (Author of Unlawful Killings) - Goodreads

Right now, with our courts straining under the weight of the many heinous crimes being committed, it's not merely the system that is flawed. The fracture lines that run through our society are becoming harder and harder to ignore and, from a unique vantage point, the author warns that we do so at our peril. Her book is outstanding. It is one of the best non-fiction books that I've read for many years. She writes with a novelist's flair and ease about things that are real and often tragic and sad. Throughout the book, various different cases are discussed, all involving the death of at least one person. The way that she describes the court room, and the people within it is fascinating.

I was sorry when this one ended, and could easily have read another six trials and not been bored in the slightest. Joshua Rozenberg QC is the only full-time journalist to have been appointed Queen’s Counsel honoris causa. After taking a law degree at Oxford he trained as a solicitor. He is an honorary Master of the Bench of Gray’s Inn and a non-executive board member of the Law Commission. Joshua was the BBC’s legal correspondent for 15 years before moving to newspapers. He now presents the popular Radio 4 series Law in Action, which he launched in 1984 and appears regularly on other news networks in the UK and abroad. His forthcoming book Enemies of the People? How Judges Shape Society will be published by Bristol University Press in April 2020. The Jewish Chronicle Reading case law can be tedious at times however the book is written in an engaging manner and it is easy to digest and ponder on.

Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the… Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the…

With compassion, wisdom, sardonic humour and a novelistic skill with pace and words, this is a breakthrough in expressing heinous crime from the position of one who had the fearful job of ruling upon it. Philip Mould, Philip Mould & Company What really comes across in this book is how the facts of every case are different and so much more complex than the average newspaper summary can possibly get across and the initial facts aren’t the only things that will need to be taken into account when passing judgment or sentence. It gives a great insight into the dilemmas that cross the consciences of juries and judges every day and will really make the reader think what decision they would have come to when presented with that scenario, and how the people making those decisions weigh up all the factors. If you have never been involved in a jury trial, it might give you a better idea of what an enormous burden this can be and how hard it is for judges to make sentencing decisions. A gripping, disturbing and deeply humane exploration of the darkest side of the human condition, from a judge who has seen it all. I devoured Unlawful Killings in a single sitting. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- The Secret Barrister Some fascinating stories that were absolutely ruined by the hideous narration. Stupid accents that only reinforce old stereotypes made it practically impossible to listen to itThe intention behind this book is a very serious one: to explain the workings of the law in murder cases, and ultimately to seek the failings in society that lie behind murders. Every unlawful death tells a story. Every trial involves characters to be understood, motives to be unravelled, plans and methodology to be exposed.” So writes Her Honour Wendy Joseph QC at the beginning of her riveting and revelatory début, Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey (Doubleday) . The night in Oxford was the most beautiful event I have ever done. Not just the spectacular setting (of the Sheldonian), but an unforgettable evening. Joseph explains how cases unfold and what it’s like to be a murder trial judge and witness to the good and the very bad in human behaviour. She says every unlawful death tells a story. Most of us get to move on, but not the defendant, the family of the victim or the judge. Wendy Joseph has provided those of us who have only a limited understand of the world of a courtroom, an insight into how it really works, the role of a judge, a jury as well as the numerous people who support society in its pursuit of justice.

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

It was a privilege for me to visit the festival to receive the Bodley Medal. As an incidental blessing I saw Oxford at its most mysterious and atmospheric. It was a day of piercing cold and as I walked through the twilight from the Sheldonian to Christ Church, the streets were empty and the whole city was shutting itself away. Christ Church was silent except for the footfall of unseen persons around corners and the sounds of evensong creeping from behind closed doors. For the first time I understood thoroughly the power of college ghost stories.

Justin Schlosberg, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Iain Dale Chaired by Stephen Law Oxford Debate. Is Our Press Free . . . To Lie and Manipulate? SOLD OUT Oxford Martin School: Lecture Theatre 4:00pm Fri 31 Friday, 31 March 2023 See this event Joseph wrote an introduction and three trial stories, with the intention only of creating a short pamphlet, from which any proceeds would go to charity. In fact, when the book went out on submission, it attracted great interest and was pre-empted by Transworld in May last year, the acquisition announced as a book by a “judge writing anonymously” because serving judges are not allowed to have a personal profile or any other source of income. So now—it sounds so weird to say it—I suppose I’m a writer Roger Highfield and Peter Coveney Chaired by Irene Tracey Vice-chancellor’s Interview. Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionise Medicine Sheldonian Theatre 12:00pm Fri 31 Friday, 31 March 2023 See this event 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