The Secret Magistrate


Book Description

An eye-opening, behind-the-scenes tour of a year in the life of an inner-city magistrate. Chapters cover a variety of cases including the disqualified driver who drove away from court, the Sunbed Pervert, and Fifi the Attack Chihuahua.




The Secret Barrister


Book Description

An anonymous barrister offers a shocking, darkly comic and very moving journey through the legal system – and explains how it's failing all of us. The Sunday Times number one bestseller. Winner of the Books are My Bag Non-Fiction Award. Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year. Shortlisted for Specsavers Non-Fiction Book of the Year. You may not wish to think about it, but one day you or someone you love will almost certainly appear in a criminal courtroom. You might be a juror, a victim, a witness or – perhaps through no fault of your own – a defendant. Whatever your role, you’d expect a fair trial. I’m a barrister. I work in the criminal justice system, and every day I see how fairness is not guaranteed. Too often the system fails those it is meant to protect. The innocent are wronged and the guilty allowed to walk free. In The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken I want to share some stories from my daily life to show you how the system is broken, who broke it and why we should start caring before it’s too late. A Sunday Times top ten bestseller for twenty-four weeks. ‘Eye-opening, funny and horrifying’ – Observer ‘Everyone who has any interest in public life should read it’ – Daily Mail




The Judges of the Secret Court


Book Description

David Stacton’s The Judges of The Secret Court is a long-lost triumph of American fiction as well as one of the finest books ever written about the Civil War. Stacton’s gripping and atmospheric story revolves around the brothers Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, members of a famous theatrical family. Edwin is a great actor, himself a Hamlet-like character whose performance as Hamlet will make him an international sensation. Wilkes is a blustering mediocrity on stage who is determined, however, to be an actor in history, and whose assassination of Abraham Lincoln will change America. Stacton’s novel about how the roles we play become, for better or for worse, the lives we lead, takes us back to the day of the assassination, immersing us in the farrago of bombast that fills Wilkes’s head while following his footsteps up to the fatal encounter at Ford’s Theatre. The political maneuvering around Lincoln’s deathbed and Wilkes’s desperate flight and ignominious capture then set the stage for a political show trial that will condemn not only the guilty but the—at least relatively—innocent. For as Edwin Booth broods helplessly many years later, and as Lincoln, whose tragic death and wisdom overshadow this tale, also knew, “We are all accessories before or after some fact. . . . We are all guilty of being ourselves.”




Our Magistracy


Book Description

A rare insight and celebration of the magistracy, Our Magistracy sets out its core role and values and identifies mistakes by politicians, administrators, bureaucrats and others. By a former chairman of the Magistrates Association of England and Wales. In this thoroughly informed account of the magistracy the author deals with key issues touching on that institution. Focussing on what Lord Bingham, Lord Chief Justice, described as a ‘democratic jewel beyond price’, he explains its rationale, goals and over-riding values. Dealing with major developments, economics, management, day-to-day practicalities and changing times the author casts an experienced eye over summary justice, law and order and its fascinating history of local administration. Describing the magistracy as a great national institution, independent, respected and a true people’s court, John Hosking nevertheless decries a halving of its size, closure of courthouses, remote services and increasing reliance on professional judges rather than community volunteers. Though much has changed for the better to increase competency, meet criticism and maintain integrity, the book explains how other developments have challenged the very status of the lay magistracy and made inroads into one of the most cherished principles of our democracy: public participation in the justice system. Extracts ‘It … ill-behoves politicians and reformers to support actions which may be designed to improve the justice system as a whole, but which devalue the magistracy in the process. Likewise, the sustainability of the magistracy can only be assured if the popular demands of the present … are met without compromising the future of the whole institution.’ ‘In addition to its unquestioned integrity and independence, the most persuasive reason for having a lay magistracy is that … it manifestly does a good job at a very low cost.’




Essential Magistrates’ Courts Law


Book Description

In this concise and valuable book the authors distil their vast expertise for the benefit of all those needing quick and targeted points of reference on key aspects of magistrates’ court law, whether as newcomers, justices, legal advisers, or criminal practitioners. Hugely informed and presented in an accessible format, it explains the central law, practice and procedure of these courts. The framework of summary justice has changed comprehensively in the past decade in terms of evidence, procedure, guidelines, sentencing, training and the fair but efficient expedition of cases. This book sets out these developments as well as inescapable aspects of case management. Gathers core information in one place. Sets out key processes in a manageable and readable way. Reviews 'Readable and blissfully concise... There are some nuggets for every reader, however much we might think we know... An excellent addition to the bookshelf at a modest price'-- The Law Society Gazette (external link). ‘Howard Riddle and Robert Zara have effectively produced a must-read for any judge, magistrate or lawyer practising in the magistrates’ courts. This book will become the reference book to carry to court … We thoroughly recommend it to all new judges, deputies and magistrates’— Emma Arbuthnot, Senior District Judge (Chief Magistrate) for England and Wales; John Bache, Chairman of the Magistrates Association; Duncan Webster, Chairman, Magistrates’ Leadership Executive. ‘A very clear, succinct and practical guide which would be of great value to a pupil or junior practitioner finding their feet’— Anna Banfield, BPP. ‘How useful your book is and how clear and well written I have found it. Undoubtedly an extremely useful resource’— Tom Lees JP, Greater Manchester.




United States Attorneys' Manual


Book Description




Waiting for the Barbarians


Book Description

A modern classic by Nobel Laureate J.M. Coetzee. His latest novel, The Schooldays of Jesus, is now available from Viking. Late Essays: 2006-2016 will be available January 2018. For decades the Magistrate has been a loyal servant of the Empire, running the affairs of a tiny frontier settlement and ignoring the impending war with the barbarians. When interrogation experts arrive, however, he witnesses the Empire's cruel and unjust treatment of prisoners of war. Jolted into sympathy for their victims, he commits a quixotic act of rebellion that brands him an enemy of the state. J. M. Coetzee's prize-winning novel is a startling allegory of the war between opressor and opressed. The Magistrate is not simply a man living through a crisis of conscience in an obscure place in remote times; his situation is that of all men living in unbearable complicity with regimes that ignore justice and decency. Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall, Bridge of Spies), Ciro Guerra and producer Michael Fitzgerald are teaming up to to bring J.M. Coetzee's Waiting for the Barbarians to the big screen.




Justice, Mercy, and Caprice


Book Description

Justice, Mercy, and Caprice is a work of criminal justice history that speaks to the gradual emergence of a more humane Irish state. It is a close examination of the decision to grant clemency to men and women sentenced to death between the end of the civil war in 1923 and the abolition of capital punishment in 1990. Frequently, the decision to deflect the law from its course was an attempt to introduce a measure of justice to a system where the mandatory death sentence for murder caused predictable unfairness and undue harshness. In some instances the decision to spare a life sprang from merciful motivations. In others it was capricious, depending on factors that should have had no place in the government's decision-making calculus. The custodial careers of those whose lives were spared repay scrutiny. Women tended to serve relatively short periods in prison but were often transferred to a religious institution where their confinement continued, occasionally for life. Men, by contrast, served longer in prison but were discharged directly to the community. Political offenders were either executed hastily or, when the threat of capital punishment had passed, incarcerated for extravagant periods. This book addresses issues that are of continuing relevance for countries that employ capital punishment. It will appeal to scholars with an interest in criminal justice history, executive discretion, and death penalty studies, as well as being a useful resource for students of penology.




The Magistrate's Tale


Book Description

A fascinating, funny and insightful account of just how the magistracy works at a time of great change




In Your Defence


Book Description

'As thrilling as a detective novel.' The Times 'Powerful, moving and often captivating.' Financial Times 'A compelling read for anyone who cares about fairness, justice and humanity.' Observer The Sunday Times bestseller ___ Sarah Langford is a barrister. Her job is to stand in court representing the mad and the bad, the vulnerable, the heartbroken and the hopeful. She must become their voice. Sarah weaves their story around the black and white of the law and tell it to the courtroom. These stories may not make headlines but they will change the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary ways. They are stories which, but for a twist of luck, might have been yours. With remarkable candour, Sarah describes eleven cases which reveal what goes on in our criminal and family courts: these are tales of domestic fall out, everyday burglary, sexual indiscretion, and children caught up in the law. They are sometimes shocking and they are often heart-stopping. She examines how she feels as she defends the person standing in the dock. She also shows us how our attitudes and actions can shape not only the outcome of a case, but the legal system itself. ___ What readers are saying: ***** 'Absolutely fascinating . . . thought provoking, powerful and a compelling read.' ***** 'This book broke my heart at times but also contained humour and such poignant insights into the criminal justice system.' ***** 'Sarah writes incredibly well - she's informative while maintaining suspense and tension, and conveys so much emotion in her writing