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The Secret Barrister

Stories of the Law and How It's Broken

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The Secret Barrister

By: The Secret Barrister
Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
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About this listen

An anonymous barrister's darkly comic and moving first-hand account of life in the legal system, and how it's failing us all.

The Sunday Times number one bestseller.

Winner of the Books are My Bag Non-Fiction Award.

Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year.

Shortlisted for Specsavers Non-Fiction Book of the Year.

You may not wish to think about it, but one day you or someone you love will almost certainly appear in a criminal courtroom. You might be a juror, a victim, a witness or – perhaps through no fault of your own – a defendant. Whatever your role, you’d expect a fair trial.

I’m a barrister. I work in the criminal justice system, and every day I see how fairness is not guaranteed. Too often the system fails those it is meant to protect. The innocent are wronged and the guilty allowed to walk free.

In The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken I want to share some stories from my daily life to show you how the system is broken, who broke it and why we should start caring before it’s too late.

A Sunday Times top ten bestseller for twenty-four weeks.

©2018 The Secret Barrister (P)2018 Macmillan Digital Audio Law Professionals & Academics True Crime Funny

Critic Reviews

'Eye-opening, damning and hilarious' – Tim Shipman, author of All Out War and Fall Out

‘Eye-opening, funny and horrifying’ – Observer

‘Everyone who has any interest in public life should read it’ – Daily Mail
All stars
Most relevant
Consumed in a week.

Amazingly written for easy consumption, while tackling difficult topics from both sides.

Must Read

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Exceptionally written and perfectly narrated! Fascinating and staggering from start to finish. This should be required reading in the UK.
The narration is absolutely spot on.

Exceptional

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As a lawyer (although not in the UK, but in another Commonwealth jurisdiction), this rings true. Gives a "warts and all" assessment of what it can be to become a party (victim) to a battle within our legal sytem and how unjust it can be.

very accurate

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A fascinating insight presented and narrated in a thoroughly entertaining way. Light-hearted and witty at times, while hard-hitting and thought-provoking at others.

Educational, enlightening and entertaining

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Really clearly and interestingly sets out the issues with the British criminal justice system and how they affect all of us. Definitely worth a listen even if you're not British or particularly knowledgeable about the law.

Really interesting and worthwhile book.

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