Maybe I was expecting too much from this line in the blurb .” Welcome to the world of the Secret Barrister. These are the stories of life inside the courtroom. They are sometimes funny, often moving and ultimately life-changing.W
For me the book was very dry and too legalistic. I have studied law and so that is not the reason I found it that way - it just wasn't that interesting to me. Every so often there would be an interesting fact and an anecdote I found worth getting excited about but for the most it was boring.
It certainly was an eye opener as to how some aspects of the legal system work and the Secret Barrister is obviously and rightly very annoyed about it.. Just don't bill the book as light hearted when in fact 90% of it isn't.

Everyone must read this book. We know nothing about the law or British justice. A scary book but a necessary and important one.

Highly interesting and in-depth look at the justice system. I knew very little before this book, and it was incredibly informative and entertaining. This is a book that everyone should read.

This isn't our usual fare over here on SF&F Reviews, but it was such a powerful, interesting read that I thought we'd talk about it.

The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken is a book based on the blog by the eponymous (and anonymous) Secret Barrister. It explores every aspect of the system of law in Britain, from arrest through trial and sentencing, and explores the roles of key actors in that system, such as solicitors, judges, magistrates, barristers, police officers et al., as well as organisations like the CPS. If you’ve ever wanted to know key differences between US and UK law when switching between Law & Order reruns and episodes of Broadchurch, this is the book for you. If you’ve ever wanted to know how the British justice system works – or if it works at all – this is also the book for you.

Full disclosure: This book made me very, very angry, which I suspect is one of its goals. It’s difficult to read about the system of justice failing and being failed as comprehensively as the text presents it and not get angry. The text forensically dissects every aspect of British justice, and while it’s willing to say where things are done well, it’s also incredibly scathing where things are not. And it turns out that there are quite a few cases where that’s the case.

But why does this work? Why do the stories here have such an impact? I think part of it is the style.
This isn’t an impenetrable legal textbook, filled with scattered Latin phrases and a load of assumed knowledge. It’s in a chatty vernacular breezy and accessible to anyone, even – or perhaps especially – those of us with no legal training. That accessibility is a triumph; I imagine making the state of law and justice to the layman is a difficult thing to achieve. But it’s backed up by a passion in the words, an enthusiasm and sense of care which is evident in the prose even as it erupts off of the page. The author wants the reader to understand the system, to be sure – but that’s only part of the goal. Another part is that they understand why that system is important, and what the issues with it are.

In that, the text is a magnificent success. Its explorations of the system are erudite, the slings and arrows it hurls at that system precise as well as heavily barbed. There’s a sense here passing from author to reader that the British have one of the greatest justice systems in the world, if only we’d look after it properly. The personal stories – of cases abandoned or perversely decided due to spending cuts, of triumphs of law over common-sense, of everyday chaos wrought by those trying their best in an overloaded, underfunded world – give a sense of the immediate, and wrap the larger legal perspective up in something unafraid to show the consequences of that perspective on actual people.

This is an elegant, eloquent book, which serves as both a primer for understanding a system which sits in the background for the entirety of most people’s lives, but also carries a fiery passion and indignation at the way in which that system is being slowly dismembered, or failed by lack of funding, and a similar enthusiasm for its successes in spite of those flaws. There’s an energy thrumming through the pages, an inherent decency and sense of urgency which makes each page at once a refreshingly intelligent exploration of complex problems, and a hard shot of cunning crafted sizzling rhetoric about how those problems are being ignored.

Should you read it? If you’ve ever wanted to know how the justice system works, in theory and in harder, grimier reality, yes. If you want to see the sparkle of an institution with potential, and the stark anger at the way in which that potential is wasted, yes. If you want to see how we can and should change things for the better, then yes. It’s an absolute barn-stormer of a book, one which will benefit multiple reasons, and inspire anger and hope in equal measure. Find a copy, buy a copy, read a copy. If nothing else, it’s likely to make you think, and that is some high praise indeed.

I've been following The Secret Barrister on Twitter for a while and was looking forward to getting stuck into this. This book is a well-written expose of the failings of criminal justice system. The humour is pitch black and the tone sometimes sober but it's a good read. The criminal justice system is a pillar of society, and something the public take for granted, although I doubt than anyone who read this book would ever look at the system again in the same light. Because if it collapsed society would come down with it.

Medical memoirs such as ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ by Adam Kay have vividly illustrated the highs and lows of working in the National Health Service and the importance of funding it properly. The Secret Barrister, an anonymous junior barrister practicing in London, now lifts the lid on the realities of the English and Welsh criminal justice system in ‘Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken’.

As you would expect, The Secret Barrister is extremely articulate and persuasive in the way that he or she presents the damning case of how the legal system is broken and specifically how funding cuts have exacerbated existing problems across the board for the myriad of people involved in it including magistrates, solicitors, complainants, defendants and, of course, barristers. Some passages are quite long-winded with a lot of historical background and statistics, requiring a great deal of concentration on the part of the reader to absorb all the facts. However, it is necessary to set out the full picture of the system which is a complicated maze to navigate even at the best of times for those who have a decent grasp of the legal world from the inside, let alone the most vulnerable people in society who are more likely to be caught up in it with life-changing consequences. Yet the Secret Barrister reminds the reader that anyone can have their life turned upside down in the blink of an eye either as a victim, witness or defendant, not to mention finding themselves tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt if they are not eligible to receive legal aid.

The Secret Barrister shows all the frustrating parts of the criminal justice system that TV crime dramas and tabloid newspapers rarely acknowledge, whether it’s waiting around all day only for the trial to be adjourned at the last minute when a courtroom fails to become available or dispelling the myths about how much barristers and solicitors really earn. While I would like to think that detailed scrutiny lies at the heart of the law, it is apparent that time pressures, contradictions and bureaucratic blockages mean that there is often not enough time for the collection and careful examination of the evidence that cases require.

The chapters are structured in the format of a criminal case with plenty of colourful examples to illustrate the serious points made here and bring the technical detail to life. The cross-examination of Mr. Tuttle, accused of assaulting his blind neighbour and claiming he acted in self-defence, is amusingly absurd on the face of it with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour, but many aspects are equally horrifying. The same goes for the criminal justice system as a whole, and the Secret Barrister should be applauded for bringing this to light and hopefully correcting some widespread misconceptions along the way. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me a review copy via NetGalley.

I’ve been following the Secret Barrister on Twitter for some time, and so was pleased to have the opportunity to read this important book and understand the detail that can’t be compressed into a twitter thread. Through clearly set out examples and contextualising of the criminal justice system system, this book plainly sets out the as our justice system operates, and highlights where it is failing to operate in the best interests of all involved. I think of myself as well-informed, and am married to a barrister (not criminal law however), and was still surprised and at times horrified at the argument within.
This book should be on the reading list of all those who wish to understand how the government is failing to protect its citizens at times of greatest need, and how the public as a whole are unaware of its failings. #thelawisbroken indeed

This book opens with some outline information about the author, the book and the criminal justice system. Written by an anonymous barrister it considers of the subject of justice over time and across countries. It also looks at the general strengths and weaknesses of the English justice system and others. In fairness I found the opening chapters somewhat dry for a "person in the street" reader.

However as I read on I found that my interest and views on the book altered. The chapters are well laid out and looks at the legal process from Magistrates Courts through Bail and Remand to Trial and Sentencing. During the course of this it also looks at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Victims of the law and the myth of Legal Aid. I confess once the topic of "victims" came up the book became far more alive and real to me. This felt like something I could understand. From there on I did find the book both interesting and revealing. Some aspects I was already aware of through the news for example. While the changes to Legal Aid highlighted by the author were introduced without fuss (!!) they were reported on. Equally there has been considerable press interest in the CPS of late so that the issues highlighted there were not that surprising (although rather horrifying),

There is a sense in which this can feel like a whinge about all that is wrong with the "system". Such things tend to be quite headline grabbing and raise their heads (and the profile of the problem sometimes) from time to time. The NHS, the police, the prison system and others tend to feature usually however I don't think I have come across one relating to the law in a readable way before. That makes this book a little unusual at least. Written by an apparent insider it has fairly extensive and valid references to back up some of the positions as far as I could tell.

Ultimately I'm not certain I know who this is aimed at. I think the subtitle of the book "Stories of the Law and How It's Broken" is slightly misleading. There are stories of cases handled by the author however there are relatively few of them. They are used to illustrate the concepts in the chapters rather than being simply stories. I notice some reviewers consider this book "hilarious"; I did smile from time to time but little more than that.

I'm not quite sure who this aimed at - is it trying to get a message over to someone? Is it simply trying to be dramatic? It certainly offers valid evidence into the idea that there is much wrong with the justice system in England currently. The author in his "Closing Speech" offers some thoughts on where improvements might be made. Funding is obviously an issue as it is in many public services. I fully agree with his point that the Law in its broadest sense should be taught to people at school - the ignorance (mine included at times) does no service to the enhancement of the system. I also appreciated his point about "Justice being done, being seen to be done and being able to be understood". The lack of clarity/consistency and plain common sense in areas such as sentencing simply makes bad news headlines inevitable. There are many important issues in this book. It deserves to be widely read and reflected on - I enjoyed reading it.

Note - I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review

A fascinating introduction and insight into the British legal system. It feels like an important book, in that it shows the myriad ways that ‘justice’ often isn’t very just at all. You’ll know what I mean when you read about the ‘Innocent Tax’. Read it, and you'll find out see how complicated sentencing is, how many verdicts are passed down by unqualified volunteers, and how the British system is so different to the American one (familiar to many thanks to excellent tv dramas) and others.

So why only three stars? Well, in my rule book, three stars is still pretty good. I liked it and found it informative. But... maybe I was expecting too much from the title. This was a good, rather dry read about law. I suppose I was expecting a more personal view into the author’s career, more real-life anecdotes and examples. A lighter touch. Arguably this is the fault of my expectations!

It's not always an exciting read, but it is worth picking up, if only to understand - on top of everything mentioned above - why ‘lenient’ sentences are handed down in the first place and how criminal barristers are criminally underpaid.

I'm glad I read it.

The Secret Barrister is a real and broad analysis of the Criminal Justice System - which at university I remember my lecturer telling me was none of these things and I can’t help but feel this book kind of continues proves her hypothesis.

Beginning at the start of the criminal justice process and seeing it through until the end, this book examines how the justice system doesn’t work for the people it is meant to serve and praises those who keep it going in the face swingeing cuts and job losses that has made the dispensing of justice very difficult with adnecdotes from the writer’s experience that make for painful but informative reading.

I think how The Secret Barrister has always written about the subject of Law has always been captivating for me, the nerdy person who enjoys this stuff, however this book feels like their body of work captured into one excellent book. I feel like there’s still so much to talk about and this books just scratches the grimy surface of the criminal justice system in the UK however it’s a damn good start.

I don’t feel fully qualified to bluster on about the legal system, however I feel like this is a book that is a written warning for the present about the future of justice in the UK and how much needs to change for everyone to be able to be treated fairly by it. This book is un-put-downable in that the stories it delivers about the system as so bad that you can’t believe it can’t get worse, then it does and these cases are delivered so well.

There’ve been a few “secret” bean-spillers by now - professional insiders able, by virtue of anonymity, to spill said beans with impunity. In this case it’s the England and Wales legal system under the microscope and it makes for a sobering read.

The unknown author, who blogs (very successfully) at thesecretbarrister.com, has delivered a frequently alarming account of the ways in which justice is, or often isn’t, carried out. All too often, the guilty walk free or the innocent are convicted due to entirely avoidable blunders or simple laziness from various parties along the way - evidence is lost, key witnesses never interviewed, necessary processes not followed leading to cases collapsing. Using alarming, and presumably suitably anonymised, examples from her or his (I don’t think we’re ever told, though the “barrister” image on the cover appears to be male) professional career, the process by which cases reach and are dealt with in the criminal courts is forensically examined.

High profile miscarriages of justice get a mention (aside from the well-known IRA ones, the one that has always stayed with me is the tragic-all-round case of Stefan Kiszko), but the much lower profile, everyday injustices are the real focus here.

It’s a good read, if a little wordy at times. The author knows of what s/he speaks and there’s much which will both surprise and alarm the reader. A rant at the deliberate, cynical, politically-motivated, populist misreporting of the tabloid press, particularly in relation to sentencing, had me cheering along in agreement. The anger of the author at opportunist solicitors like “Keres & Co”, who promise much but deliver very little, is clear, and fully justified.

An interesting read which shines a much-needed light on the flaws in the current system.

This is one of the most entertaining and worrying books that I have ever read. Anyone working within the criminal justice stystem knows that the system is creaking at best and on the verge of being broken.

Eventually if you keep cutting you get to the tipping point and everything falls apart. The country owes a deep debt of thanks to The Secret Barrister, whoever he or she is for highlighting to a broader lay audience just how awful things have become - and how the average man in the street might be affected should he be unfortunate or stupid enough to fall foul of the law.

This is a forensic study of what can and does go wrong and should be compulsory and essential reading for all interested parties in particular the government and HM Courts.

There are parts in the book that I do not agree with from my own knowledge and experience but this is a beautifully written and forensically written and detailed polemic whether put together out of anger or sadness that hopefully will have some effect.

Very interesting and slightly disturbing that the system is so broken!
The writing style was quick and engaging so I wanted to read on. Also the narrator made some complex legal areas seem pretty straight forward and I think that is a talent in itself.
I think this is definitely something that people should be more aware of.

This is excellent. It's very readable and often witty in style, but its message is stark and worrying: we have a serious problem in the criminal justice system which is getting worse.

Written by an (understandably) anonymous barrister, The Secret Barrister is an account from the inside of the realities of the English and Welsh legal system. It is interesting and very clear about how we came to have the current system, its undoubted strengths, its true aims and the terrible mess which so often prevents those aims of fairness to all being achieved. The author puts his case with genuine passion, but also with humanity and clear-sighted, lucid argument. Some of the problems are structural (I was astonished to learn the detail of how Magistrates are selected and "trained", for example) but a great deal of it is because the system is being appallingly overloaded while being starved of the resources to do the job by a state "arrogant in the assumption that those hardest hit are those for whom public sympathy will never register on opinion polls."

It's easy to read in that the prose and style are excellent, but the content is a very tough read indeed. We all need to be aware of the issues, though, because the very fairness of our society depends on a decent, fair criminal justice system which the author currently characterises (fairly, as far as I can see) as in the main, "getting numbers through the door and out again as inexpensively and swiftly as possible. It's roulette famed as justice…"

I was surprised and impressed by how fascinating and involving I found The Secret Barrister, and I can recommend it very warmly.

(My thanks to Macmillan for an ARC via NetGalley.)