Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey

Unlawful Killings

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION 2023 
 
'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 
 
The instant Sunday Times bestseller, March 2023

Judge Wendy Joseph's gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger ... Joseph is a deft deployer of suspense and nuance ... She is funny too, with a keen eye for the absurdities of the human condition

'UNLAWFUL KILLINGS reads like a really terrific novel.  It is riveting, thought-provoking, and very, very entertaining.  I loved it.'

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

Fascinating, propulsive and beautifully written, this is an extraordinary insight into the heart and mind of a judge as they witness the best and worst of humanity. I couldn't put it down.

Sarah Langford, author of In Your Defence

Fresh, compelling, well-written and unflinchingly authentic.

I really enjoyed this book. If ever I was on trial I would want my judge to be this one. She is compassionate, in control and understands the reality that exists outside the courtroom. Anyone who has worked in the Crown Court would recognise how true to life the court room scenes are. The fictional crime scenarios make compelling stories. What is unique is that they are placed in a wider context which challenges the assumptions that lie behind our criminal justice policy. A great read for those who want to understand how the system works now and why it is going wrong.

I inhaled this: brilliant, clear-eyed, compassionate and fascinating.

Olivia Potts, author of A Half Baked Idea

The most exceptional book I've read in a long time. As a police officer in a former life I was mostly terrified of judges, so it was incredible to have this glimpse behind the pomp and ceremony of criminal court. Readers will be intrigued by the insight into the mechanics of the law, but what really makes this sing is its humanity. I was moved to tears on more than one occasion, and am heartened to know there is such compassion among our judges.

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.

Beautifully written and utterly gripping.

JUNE'S BOOK OF THE MONTH: Exceptional ... a riveting and revelatory work.

A superb work providing the reader with a truly authentic judicial insight into the human stories and legal and forensic framework that constitute today's criminal trials of those accused of unlawfully killing another human being. It is permeated too with clearsighted analysis of the backstory to such killings, whether that be the pull of street gangs, the blight of domestic violence, the tragedy of death on our roads or the infliction of violence said to have been caused by mental illness or the ill temper of those with a disordered personality. The author's wit and wisdom deserve as wide an audience as possible.

A very rare gem. An author who uses hindsight to contemplate foresight whilst generating genuine insight.  The book is written with authority, humility and compassion.  Compellingly clever and sharply honest.

Lifts the lid on what it's like to dispense justice ... a gripping insight ... beautifully crafted ... grim tales lifted by humour and honesty.

This is a brilliant book. It tells the stories of six different types of homicide case coming before an Old Bailey judge, vivid, compelling, tragic and sometimes funny about the barristers. It makes a compelling case for prevention before cure - and, by the way, for more women judges!

Rt Hon Lady Hale DBE, Former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

Who hasn't wanted to be a judge and sit and deliver verdicts on all those evil people who do the most appalling things to other people - more often than not, members of their own family, or to someone that they know.  You might think again after reading Unlawful Killings which 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.  It will also make you think again about our judges and I for one was left gladdened that we have someone of this quality assessing what was right and what was wrong.  A page turner that will leave you wanting to know more.

Emeritus Professor David Wilson  Author of My Life with Murderers

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.

Wendy Joseph's career as a leading criminal barrister and High Court judge at The Old Bailey has given her unparalleled insight and understanding of crime and the working of the criminal mind. In this remarkable book she sets out in clear, dispassionate and forensic detail the twists and turns of six very different trials, not only revealing the intense human tragedy behind these stories but also the lives of the people who are integral to the court process, be it QC, barrister, clerk, witness or jury. 
Fast-moving, hugely absorbing and at times emotionally draining, Wendy Joseph is a born storyteller for whom a complete understanding of the law and how it applies to deeply harrowing and disturbing murder cases never wavers.

Her writing is characterized by analytical precision, but it is also a book of great empathy and urgency... A fine book.

Until March 2022 Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC was a judge at the Old Bailey, sitting on criminal cases, trying mainly allegations of murder and other homicide. She read English and Law at Cambridge, was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1975, became a QC in 1998 and sat as a full-time judge from 2007 to 2022. When she moved to the Old Bailey in 2012 she was the only woman amongst sixteen judges, and only the third woman ever to hold a permanent position there. She was also a Diversity and Community Relations Judge, working to promote understanding between the judiciary and many different sectors of our community, particularly those from less privileged and minority groups. She mentors young people, from a variety of backgrounds, who hope for a career in law and has a special interest in helping women. Her first book, Unlawful Killings, won the Crime Writer's Association 'Gold Dagger' for Non-fiction and was a Sunday Times bestseller.

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 her unique vantage point, Wendy Joseph QC warns that we do so at our peril.

Wendy Joseph KC

A more cerebral version of Kavanagh QC … with sensitivity, suspense and an easy style.

Joseph is a natural storyteller.. but what makes it stand out is her point of view.

Joseph writes clearly and elegantly.. her tone is that of a wise, empathetic referee.

It is her open-mindedness and her powerful writing style that makes this book an original mixture of education and gripping stories.

A vivid picture of the thoughts, feelings and actions of a woman judge as she tries cases involving women as victims/perpetrators and asks herself whether we do them justice. A compelling read.

Rough Justice raises profound questions about what the words guilty and innocent actually mean. Written with great style and aplomb and full of surprises, I would give this to anyone interested in the law, indeed anyone interested in their fellow humans. The criminal law has found its voice: quiet, determined, steely, and yet always humane.

JUSTIN WEBB, Today Programme presenter and author of The Gift of a Radio

You’ll hear a lot of wonderful things being said about Wendy Joseph’s Rough Justice and I have to tell you that they’re all justified. A worthy follow-up to her bestselling debut Unlawful Killings this is a book that will make you question what justice is and whether or not it actually gets dispensed by our courts.

Emeritus Professor David Wilson, author of My Life with Murderers

Beautifully written, immensely engaging, powerful and disturbing insight into a judge’s work and the choices faced.

Peter James, author of the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series

A fascinating and entertaining view of our criminal justice system from the perspective of the Bench. Wendy Joseph tells stories of criminal prosecutions where women are on trial for serious offences. All the characters of the crown court come alive from judge’s clerk to problematic jury members, from overconfident counsel to the frightened defendant with Her Honour left to play umpire and make the whole system run as smoothly as possible. It is a relatively fair procedure, but can justice be served in cases where there is often a complex and hidden past?’

Harriet Wistrich, author of Sister in Law

Rough Justice is a riveting front-line account of our beleaguered courts. Part polemic, part primer, it takes gripping real-life cases and places the reader in the centre of the drama. Told with clarity and eloquence, it distils an arcane subject with the vigor and pace of a legal thriller. I found it sobering but also deeply moving and resolutely hopeful.

Kia Abdullah, author of Those People Next Door

Joseph radiates emotional intelligence and compassion

Do we have the law we deserve?

What is justice? Do our legal courts dispense it? Has our judicial process improved, for the victims, the accused and for society? What more must be done to ensure genuine justice is carried out in future? 
 
Following on the heels of her bestseller Unlawful Killings, Old Bailey judge Wendy Joseph KC skilfully reconstructs courtroom dramas affecting society’s most vulnerable - so often women and children, drawing on her many years’ experience as a murder trial judge, and asking the key questions of the institutions tasked to deliver what is right and fair. 
 
From the trial of a child charged with disposing of dismembered body parts, to the woman accused of killing her own husband, Joseph is utterly compelling as she sets out how our justice system works. But, as she compares these modern courtroom tales with eerily similar cases and miscarriages of justice from years ago, might the most chilling story of all be that the lessons of the past have yet to be learned? 
 
Incisive, masterfully crafted, Rough Justice illuminates the struggles of any one of us caught up in our legal system – but particularly the marginalized and the easily exploited – and grapples with the concept of ‘justice for all’ so that we might demand better.

Rough Justice

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Wendy Joseph KC

Praise for Rough Justice

A more cerebral version of Kavanagh QC … with sensitivity, suspense and an easy style.

Joseph is a natural storyteller.. but what makes it stand out is her point of view.

Joseph writes clearly and elegantly.. her tone is that of a wise, empathetic referee.

A more cerebral version of Kavanagh QC … with sensitivity, suspense and an easy style.

Joseph is a natural storyteller.. but what makes it stand out is her point of view.

Joseph writes clearly and elegantly.. her tone is that of a wise, empathetic referee.

A more cerebral version of Kavanagh QC … with sensitivity, suspense and an easy style.

Joseph is a natural storyteller.. but what makes it stand out is her point of view.

Joseph writes clearly and elegantly.. her tone is that of a wise, empathetic referee.

Books by Wendy Joseph KC

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter