Defending the Guilty
Truth and Lies in the Criminal Courtroom
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- £5.99
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
NOW A MAJOR BBC COMEDY
"As a criminal barrister, you work with the material you get: a junkie shoplifter with thirty-five previous convictions and four packs of Lidl's frozen chicken stuffed down his trousers is heading only one way . . ."
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Every day, Alex McBride stands up in court and, with nothing but quick-thinking, sharp-talking and his hard-won legal expertise, attempts to save people from criminal conviction, prison, even a lifetime behind bars.
Sometimes he's had only a few hours to prepare his case. Sometimes his client is obviously guilty.
In this hilarious, heart-stopping memoir, he takes us behind the scenes of Britain's criminal justice system - in barristers' chambers, the courtroom, the cells - introducing us to its outlandish personalities, arcane eccentricities and its many moving stories of triumph and defeat.
Throughout McBride attempts to answer that most important question: how do we ensure that the guilty are convicted and the innocent walk free?
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'Gripping, engaging, compelling. The real life of criminal barristers is expertly caught' Literary Review
'Terrific. McBride details his own cock-ups and disasters with the relish of the born humorous writer. Very funny' Daily Mail
'An excellent blend of anecdote and more serious discussion' Tom Bingham, author of The Rule of Law
Customer Reviews
Good read - too short
The book itself is both entertaining and informative (particularly in respect of the history of both the law and the legal establishment) but not in a boring history book kind of way. The only criticism I have is that it's too short. I would have liked more accounts of his defending/prosecuting real cases as some of his accounts were very entertaining. Maybe he'll write another?
Perspective - widening
Gives a broadening view of English & Welsh law - NI law differs in details and Scottish is more like European.
Brilliant
Brilliant book. If I should ever be in that situation, I would like Mr McBride to be on my side !!