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

by Wendy Joseph

STRONG AUTHOR PROFILE: One of the few women judges sitting on the bench trying murder cases at the Old Bailey, Wendy Joseph was a barrister and, for the last ten years of her career, a QC. She is a brilliant speaker, active in pursuing opportunities to promote, and currently out and about at events and festivals throughout the autumn.

Genres: Nonfiction, Law, True Crime, Crime, Audiobook, Memoir, Book Club

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Petra X]

Ordered the book! I knew Wendy as a child. Her parents, Carol and Norman, had a newsagent shop. She went for a year to the US to a school and came back with an accent she wouldn't drop, we all thought she would go to the States as soon as she left school but she didn't. I wrote to her some years ago to renew an old acquaintanceship but she didn't reply. I was probably too small fry being the absolute nobody I am and her a Famous Judge. But still, she was a very clever girl and I am looking forward to reading her book.

[Jen Surname · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sorry when this one ended, and could easily have read another six trials and not been bored in the slightest.

I found myself intrigued with the cases presented, the processes that were followed, and indeed the outcomes. I learned lots, which I was hopeful of when I decided to purchase the book, and I’m pleased not to have been disappointed.

I had no idea that a ‘perverse verdict’ was even a thing, and I feel enlightened, reassured and even a little bit empowered to discover it exists, and the contexts - historical as explained and current as in one of the chapters - in which it has been used made me smile and sigh with relief. Sometimes the law is indeed an ass, and yet the power remains with us: Twelve people of this country, randomly drawn from its ranks, to return a verdict which they believe to be right.

I loved it.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Her Honour Wendy Joseph at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Fiction Festival in Harrogate last year. I have never knowingly met a Judge before. I've always had that stereotypical view that a judge will be large, and loud and usually male. Her Honour is tiny and soft spoken and gentle and I was a little bit smitten by her!

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.

All too often, we hear screams from social media about the justice system, and how judges are out of touch with real life. Not so in this case, not at all. Her Honour writes with a compassion and understanding that did, I have to admit, surprise me. She may have to judge each case and what has happened, but she certainly does not judge the individuals before her. She makes a point of discussing them as the real human beings that they are, looking deeper than the defendant in the dock, and seeing the human being behind them. Learning more about their stories, and about what led them to appear before her.


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.

This is a fascinating, very well written book that grips like a crime fiction thriller. Highly recommended by me

[Sara]

NB: I don't rate non fiction.

This read like a fast paced court room thriller, as Wendy Joseph QC takes the reader through several different court room trials while eloquently explaining the sometimes surprising results of the law, while above all trying to ensure every trial is fair. We go from gang related dangerous driving to domestic abuse cases, to child neglect and familial homicide. Joseph manages to make every case accessible while guiding the reader with a practiced hand through the complexities of the language used in court and how the barristers for each side can turn evidence and manipulate the truth to get the result they want. I was absolutely engrossed throughout, and really enjoyed the added moral dilemmas that a judge goes through to have a sentence fit the crime.

Well worth a read if you're interested in the UK judicial system and have no real idea of what goes into presenting a case. As someone who's only attended the Crown Court once, in the public gallery, I found this very easy to follow.

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seriously...This book was enough to make me end up in the dock at The Old Bailey on a charge of GBH for unfortunately taking my boredom and frustration out on the person who just happened to be the nearest to me after finishing this bloody trash.🗑️🚮
This book was boring, tedious and it held zero excitement...it lacked a spinal cord which made it weak and lacking in strength to hold it up to being anything near a "Good Read".

It sent my brain 🧠 into permanent 💤💤💤💤🥱🥱🥱🥱😴😴😴😴 sleep mode.


1 ⭐ just for... Ummmm... let me think!!! This just might take me a while!!🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[Irma Sincera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tokia kieta knyga! Tikriausiai šia tema geriau parašyt ir neįmanoma. Buvo sunku atsitraukti, norėjosi dar 300 puslapių ir dar daugiau bylų. Taip puikiai atskleistas teisėjos darbas, pačio teismo proceso niuansai, socialinės problemos. Parašyta visiškai nenuobodžiai, suprantamai, įtraukiančiai. Tikiuosi, kad ne paskutinė autorės knyga. Labai rekomenduoju!

[Chrissie]

What an interesting book! What does "Justice" look like to you?

There is a wonderful, considered, selection of cases - and fortunately not the usual famous cases, which is refreshing. Each case is compelling and surprising, and they are all dealt with sensitively.

More please Your Honour!

[Pablo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unremarkable. The stories told are powerful ones, but the author's attempt of trying to use them to make a point falls flat. Her final analysis of what needs to change with society is pretty shallow. Also, I disliked her overdramatised way of narrating the cases. Easy to read, but ultimately not very thought-provoking, which is what I imagine the author was going for.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3 - 3.5

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book! One of those books you can’t put down and want to sit and read at every opportunity. Each ‘chapter’ is a different trial so it is very varied, discussing an array of crimes and the decision making behind the outcomes. You feel like you’re in the courtroom waiting with bated breath alongside everyone else. Really interesting, would highly recommend.

[Ellie F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly compelling book! I loved how clearly the Judge Wendy Joseph explained the cases using her expertise while also applying a humanity and giving you room as the reader to reflect. A close relative of ‘The Secret Barrister’, I would definitely recommend to anyone remotely interested in law or sociology.

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful look into the life of a judge in the UK, illustrated through the use of six trials where a life has been taken. The author speaks authoritatively about points of law, her own views on the cases and on the legal system (and wider social issues) and also provides a useful and interesting look at the experience of a criminal court trial. I felt this was done in a generally very clear and patient manner, and that I hence was able to pick up a lot more understanding than perhaps expected, a more educational and less sensational book than I perhaps anticipated.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and informative book detailing how murder trials work, and shows an interesting insight to how the law is interpreted by barristers, judges, and juries, and sheds light on the role of the judge. However, the interesting parts of the book, the trials, and interspersed with quite dense and dreary monologues on the author's thoughts on the law and Britain today, which arent especially interesting or well written.

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this (Audible) and loved it. Could have listened to another 10 trials.
I love it when people who’ve had long careers write these sort of books showing the variety of people they’ve encountered along the way. A contrast to younger writers who are trying to make it about them and their “platform”.
The author is wise and respectful in every case she describes. There’s humor and humility in spades. She has a talent for writing and the cases are all somewhat surprising in their own way. I loved it.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing. Loved it.

[Peyton Labiak · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’ll write a longer review later but:

SUBJECTIVELY this was a 4 star book for me because, even though i loved loved the content and flew through it, i occasionally lost my focus when the legal content/jargon got too in-depth

OBJECTIVELY this is a 5 star book that is extremely well written, impossible to put down, and tells the story of six vastly different trials at one of London’s biggest criminal courts, all from the first person perspective of the judge who oversaw the cases. absolutely recommend

[Lydia Hemmings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book properly hooked me, I couldn't put it down, I was thinking about it when I wasn't reading it, and I'm sad that I can't have Her Honour Wendy Joseph endlessly teaching me about the law and telling me her stories.

[PG Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend it to everyone - you'll learn so much about the UK judicial system and all of it will be explained in a very clear manner. I attended the author's talk at Birmingham LitFestival and I could listen to her endlessly. She's sooo professional and just (and) brilliant.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read by an Old Bailey judge.
3.5 stars.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Well written.

[Molly Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

a genuinely fascinating read

[Julia Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really struggling to get past the awful stereotyped accents in the audible version. For me, these only served to underscore all of the class-based assumptions about murder and the Courts that I assumed the author was seeking to avoid by writing this book in the first place. I love narrators bringing a book to life, but the impact of the hackneyed accents in this narration was seriously off-putting. Difficult to get past my suspicion that the author viewed some ‘characters’ with a degree of disdain. Shame, as I was so excited to ‘read’ it.

[David Ellcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - would have been 5 had it not been for the slightly sermonising conclusion. A very good book that takes the reader through the complex world of criminal law and the role of the judge with intellectual clarity and precision. The book - which is based around six composite, fictional cases - reads like a cross between a novel, a memoir and a university set text, but is much better than that makes it sound!

[Erika McConnachie · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow wow wow…. gripping from the first page

[Afrín Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I didn’t like the writing style of this book. It just felt a little bit childish but I also was hooked on the actual stories! So it definitely does so something right for me. I just struggle with humour that doesn’t land for me. I can see why there was an attempt at being funny (cos these are dark cases) and it depicts the day-to-dayness of life within the Old Bailey. Like any other workplace, there is humour and lightness - even in a court that deals with murder. Still, I thought the writing often made caricatures of people to demonstrate an overarching point about what a lawyer or defendant or anyone involved is like.

The trials/ court cases themselves were really interesting. I thought that complex laws and sentencing processes were well explained and understandable. It’s interesting how formulaic sentencing is - almost like an equation and it attempts to make maths of lives/situations/crimes/emotions.

Especially after reading the conclusion and coming to understand this judge’s perspective on crime, I think that this was a read that force me to hold think in a more nuance way when it comes to my perspective on these things. Coming from an abolishist framework, I definitely hold a top down view of society and see how much the individual is shaped by structures. I see actions soo much within their context (I think we all should tbh) but it also made me think a lot about choice and harm. As someone who does not believe there is or should be such thing as even LAWFUL killing, that the state should have no power of life and death, I can’t not account for the sanctity of life and ‘unlawful’ killing in my abolishist perspective.

That’s not to say that I think the process depicted works - I don’t think that the existing criminal justice system works, in fact I think that most (if not all) of the defendants wouldn’t be helped in prison and it doesn’t even benefit wider society/the relatives of the deceased by having them in prison. It was so interesting to me to read about the wider context of their crimes and I found that element of the trials so fascinating.

I think this was a good read for me in terms of ideology because there was a mix of shared and differing viewpoints - some one with utterly different principles/perspectives/etc wouldve alienated me but I could 1- respect the length of time this judge has worked in the system 2- listen / read / prod my own ideas because there was some shared beliefs.

I was hating on this a little bit cos her role posits her within a system that I disagree so much with and I didn’t like her writing style but I have to say (ESPECIALLY with the conclusion chapter) it was a stimulating and enjoyable and easy read !

[Ted Richards · Rating 2 out of 5]

A helpful, short account of the basic legal mechanisms in criminal law.

The most refreshing and interesting thing abotu this book is the author. Wendy Joseph QC (though now it would be KC), is a judge at the Old Bailey. She has a unique perspective and her role as a judge in criminal law adds a lot to this account. Her problems are generally unique, having to weigh the evidence and work with the jury far more than the prosecution or defence. Her writing is also exemplary. The stories she tells are generally fictionalised, patchworks of true facts which have come before her in her tenure as a judge. Joseph QC can therefore add in some drama, change of perspectives and hidden, shocking reveals at the turn of a page. It makes the account more suspenseful and hopefully engaging.

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.

If this is Joseph QC's first step into writing entirely fictional thrillers, sign me up for me. As it stands, this is a slim, simple account with far too little bite.

[giulia capello buisán · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am lucky enough to have met Wendy Joseph and won my copy, signed by her. i couldn't stop reading this book, helped me out of a reading rut where i drag a book out over months and months; this book didn't leave my hand. the author is empathetic and in touch with the harsh reality around us, and does not let you forget that we make the criminals around us. also, the insight i to criminal justice proceedings is exciting in itself, with Joseph's generous explanations of all legal jargon, which become very familiar by the end of the book. all the cases are complex and challenge you to question your personal view of justice as people are condemned, let free, and wrongfully killed.

[Don Dealga · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book that presents compelling narratives alongside wonderfully clear explanations of difficult areas of English law around the criminal area of homicide. Alongside these two strands, we readers also get insight into the thinking, attitudes, and reactions of a liberal, compassionate, but ultimately impressively conscientious judge.

[Bayden Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book the author is so badass it’s crazy, I really loved how you read along her internal monologue and she never showed a preference for the Crown or Defence. Slay Wendy!!

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. I would happily have read through six more trials