Rough Justice: Unsafe Outcomes from the Australian Courts

by Robin Bowles

Examines the Australian system of criminal jurisprudence through a review of eight significant and controversial cases.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.

[Vicki Tyley · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not a prerequisite, Rough Justice will be more meaningful for those familiar with Australia’s high profile murder cases e.g. Jennifer Tanner, Jaidyn Leskie, Peter Falconio, to name a few.

The information presented about Bradley Murdoch (convicted for the murder of Peter Falconio) certainly had me questioning my stance on the case and the safety of his conviction.

There was some repetition from chapter to chapter, though the book’s structure almost made this necessary – I read it from beginning to end, but a reader could pick and choose what to read and still have all the requisite background.

Highly recommended for true crime buffs interested in the Australian legal system and its shortcomings. Robin Bowles is one of my favourite true crime writers.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

ROUGH JUSTICE comes from that section of True Crime books which include telling the story of particular cases, and then analysing aspects of those cases.

As with all these sorts of books whether or not it will work for the reader depends on a number of highly subjective elements - whether you agree with the issues raised by the author (either that they exist or they are issues); whether you agree with the outcome or the methodology of that analysis; and whether or not you like or dislike either the tone of book, the raising of the case, the author or any combination of these and/or any other elements you want to raise.

Makes this sort of book a tricky read for a lot of people and you'd have to be silly not to think that True Crime, in particular, is an easy path for either author or reader.

What I appreciated in this book in particular is that the cases that were raised were raised, that the issues that were highlighted were highlighted, and the analysis that was undertaken was voiced. No idea if I agree or disagree or even came up with my own conclusions in the main. But the justice system in this country has to be robust enough to stand up to scrutiny, which is part of the reason that I read these sorts of books - regardless of the cases, the author, the issues or the period of time that has passed.

[TheBookWarren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was absolutely incredible, the way the author has so much information on the murder cases is amazing. It is absolutely horrifying to see a man or woman wrongly accused of commiting a crime and then sent to jail for 25 years for something they didn't ever do, and having to see the family's reaction to their own daughters, sons, mothers, fathers etc... being accused of murder is extremely sad. This book highlights all wrong things done in courts and how screwed the judging system can be, especially when dealing with a crime in which a policeman was involved, in these cases it almost always ends up with the other person getting the blame, because many courts are unable to see the fact that "one of their own" could ever be guilty, which is indeed absolutely disgusting. The murder scenes in this book are described so well, you could vividly imagine them in your head, on top of that in this book are real photos of the innocent, the guilty and the victim, which really helps to visualize it even more. There are many gruesome scenes in this book, in one specific "murder case" a pig's head is placed at the front door, which is extremely horrifying to read about, it makes you wonder what exactly drives a person to go through such extremes for a simple, petty revenge.

Towards the end of every chapter, Robin adds a little section that tells us what ended up happening with the case, like did it get solved? or does it remain unsolved?, which I found incredibly intresting because not knowing what happens sucks.

What honestly scared me the most was how oblivious we can be towards things happening around us. Every murder in this book happened in Australia, and it's scary that most people aren't even aware that perhaps down the street something as severe as murder could be occuring. What's also so horrid is how wrongly movies and television showcase court cases, most of them make court seem fair and quick and easy when in reality it is the exact opposite and these cases can last over 30 years and never be resolved.

I think what this book's purpose and what it ultimately succeeded in doing is showcasing the brutal and biased side of the court, how sometimes an individual can be accused of doing something horrid when in reality they were never the ones to commit the crime. In one particular scene a man is brutally assulted in order to admit to a crime he didn't commit, because the police were not bothered to properly find the real culprit. It's sad how we are so sheltered from these occurences and how we and court members immediately side with the police because they are supposedly our "saviours" and "protectors". I think that as a whole we all need to properly listen to both sides of a story and not simply opt for the easier option, because one day we could be the ones getting falsley accused of commiting something we never did.

Overall this book was absolutely amazing, and honestly extremely eye-opening and it's pretty disappointing that books like these aren't talked about more widely, because these are definitly the type of books that could make or break our future, and by not attempting to read these types of books we are limiting our knowledge of what happens behind closed doors or screens. I'd 100% recommend this book to anyone and everyone. GO READ THIS BOOK!

[a_thousand_wishes_22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boyfriend recommended it to me, and I most read fiction, so my judgement is somewhat biased and askew if you are looking for an actual critical non-fiction only True Crime review.
I had issues with the perspective in which it was written, at least in the beginning, having only read or listened to true crime, often in the third person. However, I did get used to it.
I am from Australia, so reading about true crime cases that I am not familar with or never grew up hearing about was a good educational experience.
Overall, it's a good read.
I would definitely pick up another book by Bowles.

Thanks honeyy 😘

[Nicki Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informative read about some of the more known Australian crime cases including Peter Falconi, Jaidyn Leski. With insights into the Australian justice system and it's issues it was a well written thought provoking read.⭐⭐⭐⭐ #robinbowles #roughjustice #goodreads #getlitsy #thestorygraph #tea_sipping_bookworm #truecrime #bookstagram #bookqueen #lakepress

[Nurture Waratah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of this book does not pretend to make judgement as to the guilt or innocence of the alleged offenders she writes about. Rather, she highlights the fact that in the cases she covers, justice cannot be seen to have been served. Guilty, or innocent, not one of the accused in this book was afforded a fair trial. From police incompetence, to unreliable witnesses, to deliberate mirepresentation of the facts, there is one factor that every one of these cases has in common — an inability or an unwillingness of the justice system to correct her mistakes. Written in an unbiased manner and telling both sides of the story, this book highlights the faults in our justice system. Definitely worth a read.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justice and the law in Australia are not always the same thing, we know of the case of John Button, incarcerated for the murder of his girlfriend for years while the real killer had confessed and been hanged for other murders, the authorities still refused to exonerate him. But there are so many more, incompetencies exposed and unfairness questioned, but it is scary how easily it could happen. gave me the creeps it did

[Travis Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from Bowles which shows us the scenes behind the curtains of the "justice" system. I came away from it (yet again) doubting what I thought I knew about several prominent cases.

[Carol Harvey]

found this book was an inteeesting read. loved it and i am sure you will too