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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.

‘Eye-opening, funny and horrifying’ – Observer

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.

‘Everyone who has any interest in public life should read it’ – Daily Mail

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Critic reviews

By turns eye-opening, damning and hilarious, the secret barrister lifts the lid on a legal system where the system, the politicians, the lack of funding and sometimes the judges are the real villains and the victims are all of us (Tim Shipman, author of Fall Out and All Out War)
The Secret Barrister can write...everyone who has any interest in public life should read it...this is a book of some brilliance, clearly explained, cogently argued
Takes the reader deep into the bowels of the criminal justice system...the message of this entertaining book is delivered with great skill...the book is at once a lament and a celebration...the justice system as not just for criminals and victims but for all of us - it is the symbol of our nation's humanity
Terrifying and occasionally hilarious... this is an eye-opening, if depressing, account of the practice of law today. Perhaps there is hope, but the author leaves us in no doubt that urgent reform is needed
This excellent book will hopefully raise awareness of what has been, until now, a silent crisis. It is at once a vicious polemic, a helpful primer and a cringe-inducing account of one barrister's travails
A sensation beyond lawyers’ circles. The Secret Barrister is an anguished, detailed polemic by an anonymous current practitioner about how dangerously flawed, fragile and underfunded our famed legal system has become . . . an SOS, a desperate and cogent call for action and resources before the justice system, and our faith in it, collapses . . . I hope the arguments . . . will resonate widely – and that the government will act on them before it is too late. (Jenni Russell)
The unfolding calamity in our criminal justice system is best told in The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken. This angry yet forensic analysis from first arrest to prison is a gripping front-line view by an anonymous, lowly criminal barrister. Read and rage at evidence that “every day the provably guilty walk free”, while the hapless needlessly end up in jail. (Polly Toynbee)
Fluently and engagingly written...a copy of this book should be placed on the desk of every judge, every trainee lawyer, every would-be lawyer, every politician, and every minister responsible for the legal system
An illuminating and timely insight into the legal system, transforming arcane practice into accessible and fascinating anecdote
If you have not already met The Secret Barrister, he or she makes an entertaining and acerbic holiday companion for those who don’t switch off their brains in summer (Hilary Mantel)
Behold, the book that got me through jury service! A timely and accessible look at today's UK court system, this is a no nonsense explainer on how things work, very much don't work, and how we got here. Who knew that educating yourself about, for example, the history of magistrates, could be so much fun? (Alexandra Heminsley, The Pool)
All stars
Most relevant
You never know when it could be you or your loved one who is a victim of crime or accused of a crime. The failings of our justice system in its current state will affect all.
Fantastic read.

Everyone should read this book

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Whilst I did enjoy this book, I just felt it was an excuse to moan about the hard done by persons working within the realms of the law.

I think most people don’t have a huge amount of sympathy for their hard work. So it was good to hear the nuts and bolts of their profession.

The miscarriages of justice and the down right outrageous verdicts, prosecutions and defence cases are here and laid bare.

The secret barrister covered the history of the profession from previous century’s with various interesting cases.

Frightening telling the tales of those person who are in the wrong place at the wrong time and are innocents, but get mistakenly identified as the perpetrator then spend so much time, money, as well as mental and physical energy trying to clear themselves. Which is something that has always worried me , and there is no redress on this which is outrageous.

The narrator was ok, but jumped about from normal speech to plummy with long drawn out vowels, which was a little annoying.

I would recommend this book, but not as highly as other reviewers.

Behind the scenes

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As a criminologist this is admittedly my kinda thing, however this book sussinctly and clearly explains the everyday practical experiences at the coal face of criminal justice whilst coherently explaining why the canary is looking a little peaky.

Shocking, eye opening, inspirational + terrifying

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an excellent reading of a subject that can be heart breaking/depressing/funny in the same chapter . it really does make me wish it had more funding. I felt the barrister was talking to me rather than down at me. A really great book that made me want to want to improve my written and spoken vocabulary

a perfect reading of a sad system

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This is an extremely interesting and very well written book. The Secret Barrister has an accomplished and engaging way with words, which Jack Hawkins brings to life with his skilful and entertaining delivery. I feel that I gained a great insight into the legal system and learned much about the various players involved. As a lay person, I had no understanding of the constraints and barriers which defendants, victims, juries, solicitors and barristers face. It is quite frightening and not a little depressing that our 'great legal' system may be so broken. The legacy of this book is that since finishing listening, I have thought about several of the stories told and wondered how and where these people now are. It was also enjoyable learning about the history of English Law and how it has evolved overtime to be where it is today.

Fascinating but a bit depressing!

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