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This started out slow for me- I‘m not used to reading non-fiction- but quickly held my attention. The anonymous author lays out a very cogent and well-substantiated argument for how the British justice system is broken, using examples from his time as a barrister. It‘s scary and convincing.

Had to finish this because it was due back to the library and someone else had a hold so I couldn't renew. Quite nice actually to binge it and follow the argument all the way through.

...I hope I never end up in court.

I kinda want to give this to my sister and ask if she's suuuure this is the career she wants, cripes.

I'm reading this for a prompt of a genre I'd normally avoid -- I'm actually open to most genres, or at least some books within them, but law is just not interesting to me. So I decided it counted!

It's actually kind of interesting because my sister is studying law. And now I actually know the difference between a solicitor and a barrister!

Belated massive thanks Jenny, Rachel and Caroline for cards and gifts! Perfect presents, with careful thought. I'll be in touch with you soon in 2020, in the meantime hope you're having lovely New Year's Eves! 😘😘😘

@jenniferw88
@RachelO
@Caroline2

The Secret Barrister is an anonymous junior barrister specialising in criminal law in England and Wales who was Independent Blogger of the Year in 2016 and 2017 and has written for numerous publications. In this passionate, clearly written and damning book that is essential reading for anyone who cares about the United Kingdom they set out how the English criminal legal system should work and why it is going so drastically wrong.

My 2-week break from work started last night, and I‘ve already finished 2 books! I am unreasonably excited for lots and lots of reading time, and here are the ones I‘d like to read during break. PLUS whatever @merelybookish selected for me in my #Jolabokaflodswap that I will open in a few days!

Any books in this stack that you really recommend? Some are library books and some I bought in the last couple months. Im excited for ALL of them!!!!!!!!

8/10

I‘d say this is essential reading for anyone living in the UK - dispels so many myths and illustrates so much we need to know about how our criminal legal system works differently than we think (not like American tv!) and the state of the legal profession today. I did jury service age 19 and was absolutely shocked by what I saw, and while I don‘t agree with every single opinion this barrister holds, I‘m so so glad this book has been written

“It would be remiss not to acknowledge our own fault, at the Bar. Too many of us look the other way. Or find excuses. Some prize their income stream over their professional duties. Some like me, rely on youth and naivety as an excuse.”

God that‘s honest...

“But we should do more. I, personally, should have done more.”

Brutally honest. Essential reading for anyone in the UK.

BOOK HAUL: JUNE

An interesting and accessible look at the life of a junior barrister at the coal face of our UK criminal justice system, with all its flaws and failings. It left me furious at the spin by governments looking for votes and cost cutting and a press who wilfully misinterpret the intricacies of many of the cases on which they report. As the author says, our justice system is a reflection of our society and this left me feeling anything but hopeful.

A bit of a busman‘s holiday reading this at the end of a long, exhausting week as I am a lawyer too, although I do not practice criminal law. That said my current work is taking me closer to criminal law than it has done before and I‘m finding myself questioning my thoughts on many aspects of our legal and penal system in the UK. I‘m hoping this may help my understanding of some issues in an accessible way, plus it has great reviews.

Oh joy! Arrived from the U.K. this morning via Book Depository. I‘ve been following him/her (no one knows) onTwitter. Such brilliantly caustic,funny, angry, snarky breakdown of the UK legal system by one of its practitioners. I was going to be virtuous and read it on the weekend but gave into temptation ,ignoring all live feeds of Wimbledon and World Cup as I dived into this book. Loving it as I come up for air and tennis, football scores.