What do you think?
Rate this book
You Be the Judge
Have you ever wanted to be a judge?
Here’s your chance. Sit on the dais beside criminal court judge and author Norm Douglas as he wrestles with difficult decisions that he had to make. This book presents twelve homicide cases and another twelve riveting true-crime cases where you, the reader, are either the judge or the prosecutor.
You Be the Judge provides an interactive legal exercise where the readers engage with the daily dilemmas and considerations faced inside the courtroom and gain behind-the-scenes access to the Canadian justice system. Based on Norm Douglas’s lifetime contributions to bringing the law into Canadian classrooms, the book is a testament to his career and the complexity of arriving at true justice. Experience a collaborative journey into ethics, morality, and legality as you adjudicate, deliberate, and judge. Perfect for legal enthusiasts, classroom teachers, and aspiring judges.
Here’s your chance. Sit on the dais beside criminal court judge and author Norm Douglas as he wrestles with difficult decisions that he had to make. This book presents twelve homicide cases and another twelve riveting true-crime cases where you, the reader, are either the judge or the prosecutor.
You Be the Judge provides an interactive legal exercise where the readers engage with the daily dilemmas and considerations faced inside the courtroom and gain behind-the-scenes access to the Canadian justice system. Based on Norm Douglas’s lifetime contributions to bringing the law into Canadian classrooms, the book is a testament to his career and the complexity of arriving at true justice. Experience a collaborative journey into ethics, morality, and legality as you adjudicate, deliberate, and judge. Perfect for legal enthusiasts, classroom teachers, and aspiring judges.
248 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2023
4 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 30, 2024
Ostensibly, this is a book where Douglas describes a court situation and the reader decides what they would do in his place. He then tells us how it turns out.
In practice, that's just a hook that works well when doing talks at school (the original inspiration) but is quickly ignored as you rush to flip the page and see what actually happened.
I'm a big fan of interesting court cases, and that is the entirety of the book. I enjoy being outraged and angry at the horrific things that criminals do. I enjoy the nuances of law and all the different things that need to be considered. I like the idea of a world where things are properly resolved by an objective judge. If only we had that in the workplace when people make bad decisions with no accountability!
...not that Douglas is objective, something he would quickly agree with. Judges are human, and they have their biases. He is an interesting mix of evolving progressive thought, particularly around indigenous challenges in the justice system, with various elements of more conservative thinking added in. But if you'd been involved in cases where paroled murderers stab an innocent volunteer to death, you might have strong views on parole and capital punishment as well.
I found the writing style very engaging and easy to read. Douglas is very confident in his opinions and that leaked through a couple of times where I think he glosses over that his decision was ultimately overturned or reversed. He also describes a contempt case in detail where he's expecting us to see how right he is, but I couldn't help but feel for the frustrated lawyer he was upbraiding.
I raced through this in two or three days, and by the end I felt like I'd over-stuffed myself on court cases, but I also kind of wanted "just one more". Because they're all self-contained, I think these stories would make for a great ongoing magazine series or Substack newsletter.
Note that while I would have found the cases interesting no matter where they took part, the fact that they're from here in Ontario made it more relevant to me as it's referencing the laws I live under.
Ultimately, this is a solid set of tales with broad appeal and I'm a fan of educating the public in how the courts work so I'm glad he published it (without a ghost writer, that I can tell, which is impressive) and hope it reaches a wide audience.
In practice, that's just a hook that works well when doing talks at school (the original inspiration) but is quickly ignored as you rush to flip the page and see what actually happened.
I'm a big fan of interesting court cases, and that is the entirety of the book. I enjoy being outraged and angry at the horrific things that criminals do. I enjoy the nuances of law and all the different things that need to be considered. I like the idea of a world where things are properly resolved by an objective judge. If only we had that in the workplace when people make bad decisions with no accountability!
...not that Douglas is objective, something he would quickly agree with. Judges are human, and they have their biases. He is an interesting mix of evolving progressive thought, particularly around indigenous challenges in the justice system, with various elements of more conservative thinking added in. But if you'd been involved in cases where paroled murderers stab an innocent volunteer to death, you might have strong views on parole and capital punishment as well.
I found the writing style very engaging and easy to read. Douglas is very confident in his opinions and that leaked through a couple of times where I think he glosses over that his decision was ultimately overturned or reversed. He also describes a contempt case in detail where he's expecting us to see how right he is, but I couldn't help but feel for the frustrated lawyer he was upbraiding.
I raced through this in two or three days, and by the end I felt like I'd over-stuffed myself on court cases, but I also kind of wanted "just one more". Because they're all self-contained, I think these stories would make for a great ongoing magazine series or Substack newsletter.
Note that while I would have found the cases interesting no matter where they took part, the fact that they're from here in Ontario made it more relevant to me as it's referencing the laws I live under.
Ultimately, this is a solid set of tales with broad appeal and I'm a fan of educating the public in how the courts work so I'm glad he published it (without a ghost writer, that I can tell, which is impressive) and hope it reaches a wide audience.
May 18, 2024
This book by a former prosecutor and Provincial Court Judge is well-written and thought-provoking. The premise is that the author lays out a fact situation in a very balanced manner and then asks how you would decide the case. You be the judge. He then gives a well-reasoned explanation of how the matter was settled. I have told friends that the book would be a terrific party game. It provides excellent insight into how jurists make decisions and pulls back the curtain on how decisions are made.
January 1, 2025
A fun book written by an Ontario Judge. Based on his many years as a lawyer and as a judge he has selected cases to describe, providing appropriate legal information that is necessary to understand the case, and then has a break where he asks: “You be the judge.” We discussed the cases and came to some decisions, or not, as we went through the book. It’s certainly good to use to promote discussion about many topics. We enjoyed it a lot.
July 21, 2024
I loved every page of this book. Each case discussed in the book is fascinating and opens your eyes to the responsibility of the bench and the implications of each decision made. I wish this book never ended. Recommended for anyone interested in true crime or law.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews