Following her Sunday Times bestseller Unlawful Killings, Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC reconstructs four gripping courtroom dramas, drawing on her many years’ experience as a murder trial judge to ask whether our justice system works, and if it has improved over the centuries.

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

‘A compelling read’ Lady Hale

‘A more cerebral version of Kavanagh QC ? with sensitivity, suspense and an easy style.’ New Statesman

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

‘If ever I was on trial I would want my judge to be this one.’ Cherie Blair, CBE KC

Have we got any better at delivering what is right and fair, both to the perpetrators and the victims of society’s most heinous crimes?

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 the 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.

‘The author’s wit and wisdom deserve as wide an audience as possible.’ His Honour David Radford

‘An author who uses hindsight to contemplate foresight whilst generating genuine insight.’ Professor Dame Sue Black

‘The criminal law has found its voice: quiet, determined, steely, and yet always humane.’ Justin Webb

‘A riveting front-line account of our beleaguered courts…Told with clarity and eloquence, it distils an arcane subject with the vigor and pace of a legal thriller.’ Kia Abdullah

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Praise for Unlawful Killings by Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC, Sunday Times bestseller, March 2023:

‘The most exceptional book I have read in a long time.’ CLARE MACKINTOSH

‘Absolutely superb. 5 stars’ PHILIPPA PERRY, author of THE BOOK YOU WISH YOUR PARENTS HAD READ

‘Wendy Joseph’s gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger.’ Sunday Times

‘A gripping insight … beautifully crafted … grim tales lifted by humour and honesty.’ The Times

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

‘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

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

‘If ever I was on trial I would want my judge to be this one.’ Cherie Blair, CBE KC

Hot on the heels of her Sunday Times bestseller Unlawful Killings, Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC skilfully reconstructs four courtroom dramas, drawing on her many years’ experience as a murder judge to ask whether our justice system works, and if it has improved over the centuries. Have we got any better at delivering what is right and fair to both the perpetrators and the victims of society’s most heinous crimes?

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 the 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.

‘The author’s wit and wisdom deserve as wide an audience as possible.’ His Honour David Radford

‘A riveting front-line account of our beleaguered courts…Told with clarity and eloquence, it distils an arcane subject with the vigor and pace of a legal thriller.’ Kia Abdullah

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Praise for Unlawful Killings by Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC, Sunday Times bestseller, March 2023:

‘The most exceptional book I have read in a long time.’ CLARE MACKINTOSH

‘Absolutely superb. 5 stars’ PHILIPPA PERRY, author of THE BOOK YOU WISH YOUR PARENTS HAD READ

‘Wendy Joseph’s gripping account of the law at work reads like a cliffhanger.’ Sunday Times

‘A gripping insight … beautifully crafted … grim tales lifted by humour and honesty.’ The Times

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

‘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

‘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