Rough Justice

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Four gripping stories from the Old Bailey that force us to consider: What is justice? Do our legal courts dispense it? Has our judicial process improved, for the victims, the accused and for society? And 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, 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.


'A compelling read' Lady Hale
‘Joseph is a deft deployer of suspense and nuance’ Sunday Times
‘Her Honour entertains as she educates us’ Philippa Perry
'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 QC
‘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

©2024 Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

A more cerebral version of Kavanagh QC ... with sensitivity, suspense and an easy style.
New Statesman
Joseph is a natural storyteller.. but what makes it stand out is her point of view.
The Times
Joseph writes clearly and elegantly.. her tone is that of a wise, empathetic referee.
Financial Times
It is her open-mindedness and her powerful writing style that makes this book an original mixture of education and gripping stories.
Inside Time
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.
Lady Hale
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

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