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In Your Defence: Stories of Life and Law
Sarah Langford is a barrister. Her job is to stand in court representing the mad and the bad, the vulnerable, the heartbroken and the hopeful. She must become their voice: weave their story around the black and white of the law and tell it to the courtroom. These stories may not make headlines but they will change the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary ways. They are stories which, but for a twist of luck, might have been yours.
To work at the Bar is to enter a world shrouded by strange clothing, archaic rituals and inaccessible language. So how does it feel to be an instrument of such an unknowable system? And what does it mean to be at its mercy? Our legal system promises us justice, impartiality and fair judgement. Does it, or can it, deliver this?
With remarkable candour, Sarah describes eleven cases which reveal what goes on in our criminal and family courts. She examines how she feels as she defends the person standing in the dock. She tells compelling stories - of domestic fall out, everyday burglary, sexual indiscretion, and children caught up in the law – that are sometimes shocking and often heart-stopping. She shows us how our attitudes and actions can shape not only the outcome of a case, but the legal system itself.
To work at the Bar is to enter a world shrouded by strange clothing, archaic rituals and inaccessible language. So how does it feel to be an instrument of such an unknowable system? And what does it mean to be at its mercy? Our legal system promises us justice, impartiality and fair judgement. Does it, or can it, deliver this?
With remarkable candour, Sarah describes eleven cases which reveal what goes on in our criminal and family courts. She examines how she feels as she defends the person standing in the dock. She tells compelling stories - of domestic fall out, everyday burglary, sexual indiscretion, and children caught up in the law – that are sometimes shocking and often heart-stopping. She shows us how our attitudes and actions can shape not only the outcome of a case, but the legal system itself.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2018
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March 1, 2020
Explanation for those in a non-British law jurisdiction: A barrister is a specialist in putting the case of the adveraries in court. They are instructed by solicitors, lawyers, and work in Chambers where the clerk books in cases into the diaries of the barristers. Barristers generally don't have any choice of who they would like to represent.
These are the stories of a young woman barrister who represented a wide range of people. The most outstanding cases were the 17 year old - but 18 and an adult at the time of the case - caught with a mass of paeophile pornography on his computer. He'd been groomed and lured in at 12 himself. This struck a real chord with me.
I was in Santo Domingo on holiday with my 11 year old son. He was using the hotel computer outside our room. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "Mummy there's a poor boy who's very sad who says nobody likes him in school. I'm going to be his friend." I said let me see. There was a young man, lying down naked apart from briefs. That's how easy it was.
(When I got home I positioned our pcs at 90 degrees from each other in the study which had no curtains - it's a rainforest - I could see the screen reflection in the windows. There was no wifi until he got to 16.)
There were other cases that were similarly moving, drug addicts caught in situations where rape, violence and prostitution were their inescapable daily routines. Men with mental issues that were visible to all (except for some reason court psychiatrists for the prosecution) who were then imprisoned rather than sent for treatment. Children who had been turned against one parent by the scorned one. Other cases too.
It was interesting to see how the barrister, the author, mined the paperwork, the questions and answers from the witness box and what her client told her for the absolute nugget around which the case was built and which would prove one side or the other was right, or innocent, or otherwise. A lawyer friend of mine, a QC who is also a barrister (as in the US, the Caribbean combines the two roles), says that he isn't there to defend the innocent or prosecute the guilty, justice isn't his job. He is there to represent his client's case to the very best of his ability. The jury will vote on who made the best case and the judge will administer justice. It's a very cynical view of the law. But perhaps the only possible fair one.
One case in the book impressed me as to the difference between a civil and criminal proceedings where the same evidence would be offered and how the victim would be treated. A woman from Bangladesh had been married to a British man of Bangladeshi origins and brought over to the UK. She had never met him before. She was abused physically and sexually by both her husband and her mother-in-law, who took her passport from her and locked her in the house. Eventually she managed to escape to a family member's house with her daughter, Her husband took the child without her permission but she was returned to her by the police.
Now, if the woman had gone to the police to lay a complaint of abuse and rape when she went to court, she would have been kept far from her husband in different witness rooms, would have had the opportunity to give evidence remotely or would have been screened in court from him. If the husband had decided to act on his own behalf, a barrister would have been employed by the court to put his questions to her. Everything would be done so that their paths would not cross.
But because it was a civil case, they sat in the same corridor, the same canteen, he could question her about his alleged violence and rape in any way he chose, and even run his finger across his throat as a threat to what he would do to her. A terrifying ordeal, perhaps especially to someone from a different culture who spoke almost no English.
Since the case hung on whether or not he did rape and abuse her the barrister had to find some sort of proof, it was just his word against her's. But she did. Her husband as one of his first actions on greeting his new wife in his English home, had ripped up her precious scrap book which contained an autographed picture of a Bollywood star. He was questioned about this - this shows the absolute cleverness of the barrister, of why we employ barristers, specialists in questioning in court, I'm going to quote it verbatim:
"‘It had a note in it, to my wife, from another man. Like, a love note. I wasn’t going to have that.’
‘The note was written before you met?’
‘Yes. But she was my wife now, wasn’t she?’
‘And so when you married, what was hers became yours?’
‘Yes. That’s how it is in our culture.’
‘To do with as you wished?’
‘It’s natural. She knows and I know what her role as a wife is.’
‘A page of the book offended you, so you tore the whole thing up?’
‘I’ve already admitted that, haven’t I?’
‘Her book, her possessions, her body, her freedom – they all belonged to you …’
‘Look, it’s different. Islamically, the wife has only duty for her husband, whether she does it willingly or not.’
Click. Got him. His last phrase is chilling, isn't it?
What happened to the wife after that? She got a temporary order giving her residency and the child, and he took off for Bangladesh, sending her very insulting material and divorcing her as she had brought dishonour on his family by bringing him to court for rape, abuse and taking her child. He of course suffered no dishonour by being a violent rapist.
The mother-in-law was ordered to produce the passport and so the wife was able to establish her identity and get housing and benefits and an independent life. Although not necessarily a happy one.
In her culture, being divorced for dishonouring her husband by exposing the private secrets of a family in public, meant that she was almost certainly going to be rejected by all future potential husbands and many men (and their powerful mothers) would not want their families to mix with her, nor their children to be friends with her's. There is no sympathy for victims if they are women. Indeed there is sympathy for the man, how dare she report she was raped and abused, the poor man, going through that, no wonder he divorced her. It's a very cruel culture.
We talk about human rights, but when the persecution, no matter how extreme, is traditional -
"“I asked them why when they persecute men, for religion or colour it was seen by the world as oppression and when they persecute women, it was dismissed as tradition.” Emer Martin
Rewritten March 1st 2020
These are the stories of a young woman barrister who represented a wide range of people. The most outstanding cases were the 17 year old - but 18 and an adult at the time of the case - caught with a mass of paeophile pornography on his computer. He'd been groomed and lured in at 12 himself. This struck a real chord with me.
I was in Santo Domingo on holiday with my 11 year old son. He was using the hotel computer outside our room. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "Mummy there's a poor boy who's very sad who says nobody likes him in school. I'm going to be his friend." I said let me see. There was a young man, lying down naked apart from briefs. That's how easy it was.
(When I got home I positioned our pcs at 90 degrees from each other in the study which had no curtains - it's a rainforest - I could see the screen reflection in the windows. There was no wifi until he got to 16.)
There were other cases that were similarly moving, drug addicts caught in situations where rape, violence and prostitution were their inescapable daily routines. Men with mental issues that were visible to all (except for some reason court psychiatrists for the prosecution) who were then imprisoned rather than sent for treatment. Children who had been turned against one parent by the scorned one. Other cases too.
It was interesting to see how the barrister, the author, mined the paperwork, the questions and answers from the witness box and what her client told her for the absolute nugget around which the case was built and which would prove one side or the other was right, or innocent, or otherwise. A lawyer friend of mine, a QC who is also a barrister (as in the US, the Caribbean combines the two roles), says that he isn't there to defend the innocent or prosecute the guilty, justice isn't his job. He is there to represent his client's case to the very best of his ability. The jury will vote on who made the best case and the judge will administer justice. It's a very cynical view of the law. But perhaps the only possible fair one.
One case in the book impressed me as to the difference between a civil and criminal proceedings where the same evidence would be offered and how the victim would be treated. A woman from Bangladesh had been married to a British man of Bangladeshi origins and brought over to the UK. She had never met him before. She was abused physically and sexually by both her husband and her mother-in-law, who took her passport from her and locked her in the house. Eventually she managed to escape to a family member's house with her daughter, Her husband took the child without her permission but she was returned to her by the police.
Now, if the woman had gone to the police to lay a complaint of abuse and rape when she went to court, she would have been kept far from her husband in different witness rooms, would have had the opportunity to give evidence remotely or would have been screened in court from him. If the husband had decided to act on his own behalf, a barrister would have been employed by the court to put his questions to her. Everything would be done so that their paths would not cross.
But because it was a civil case, they sat in the same corridor, the same canteen, he could question her about his alleged violence and rape in any way he chose, and even run his finger across his throat as a threat to what he would do to her. A terrifying ordeal, perhaps especially to someone from a different culture who spoke almost no English.
Since the case hung on whether or not he did rape and abuse her the barrister had to find some sort of proof, it was just his word against her's. But she did. Her husband as one of his first actions on greeting his new wife in his English home, had ripped up her precious scrap book which contained an autographed picture of a Bollywood star. He was questioned about this - this shows the absolute cleverness of the barrister, of why we employ barristers, specialists in questioning in court, I'm going to quote it verbatim:
"‘It had a note in it, to my wife, from another man. Like, a love note. I wasn’t going to have that.’
‘The note was written before you met?’
‘Yes. But she was my wife now, wasn’t she?’
‘And so when you married, what was hers became yours?’
‘Yes. That’s how it is in our culture.’
‘To do with as you wished?’
‘It’s natural. She knows and I know what her role as a wife is.’
‘A page of the book offended you, so you tore the whole thing up?’
‘I’ve already admitted that, haven’t I?’
‘Her book, her possessions, her body, her freedom – they all belonged to you …’
‘Look, it’s different. Islamically, the wife has only duty for her husband, whether she does it willingly or not.’
Click. Got him. His last phrase is chilling, isn't it?
What happened to the wife after that? She got a temporary order giving her residency and the child, and he took off for Bangladesh, sending her very insulting material and divorcing her as she had brought dishonour on his family by bringing him to court for rape, abuse and taking her child. He of course suffered no dishonour by being a violent rapist.
The mother-in-law was ordered to produce the passport and so the wife was able to establish her identity and get housing and benefits and an independent life. Although not necessarily a happy one.
In her culture, being divorced for dishonouring her husband by exposing the private secrets of a family in public, meant that she was almost certainly going to be rejected by all future potential husbands and many men (and their powerful mothers) would not want their families to mix with her, nor their children to be friends with her's. There is no sympathy for victims if they are women. Indeed there is sympathy for the man, how dare she report she was raped and abused, the poor man, going through that, no wonder he divorced her. It's a very cruel culture.
We talk about human rights, but when the persecution, no matter how extreme, is traditional -
"“I asked them why when they persecute men, for religion or colour it was seen by the world as oppression and when they persecute women, it was dismissed as tradition.” Emer Martin
Rewritten March 1st 2020
March 1, 2020
Sarah Langford takes us on several journeys though several of her court cases as a barrister. We experience what she is told, and what she wonders about the real truth of the cases she brings to trial. She also tells us about the difficulties that her clients experience in their lives.
"I could not shake off a sense that I had forgotten one of the most important lessons my job had taught me. There was no one truth, there was no one story. Instead there were, behind every case, just webs of messy lives. To look for the truth in a case was to forget my role. It was my responsibility to guide those who came my was as best I could through the law and its systems, with humanity and empathy. It was my job to give them, as far as I was able, what they wanted. And I must try to do this even when what they wanted was not always, in the end, actually justice."
Many of the cases she describes are gut wrenching. From police abuse, to paedophile material on a youngster's computer, from two children going to court probably to cover up for their drug dealing mother, to an indebted drug dealer prostituting herself to her suppliers. The cases that affected me most were her description of a searing custody case, where the bitterness between the parents seemed to overrule any consideration of the children.
The other case that particularly touched me was that of a young woman - Maggie - regarded as being an unsuitable parent. Her first child had been taken away from her, and now she had a second child, a son. The social workers wanted to take the second child away too. Initially she had agreed to this, but then she changed her mind. Langford was defending her. In court Maggie spoke of the projects and classes she was doing - the anger management course, the drug and alcohol groups she was going to join. She was desperate to keep her child.
Langford is more than sympathetic towards the attitude of the social workers who want to take the child away...but she feels that these mothers are sometimes not given a fair chance to change their their situation for better. In this chapter we follow the court cases surrounding the plight of Maggie and her son.
Throughout the book I was impressed with the levels of distress and unhappiness that Langford was able to deal with. She wasn't impervious to it, as her writing shows, but she copes, and she tries to help people.
It was also good to get insight as to what goes on in the courts, and the incredibly difficult issues that are dealt with there.
An excellent read.
-----------------------------------------
Just in case anyone is interested - a video on parent & child placements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65YKV...
"I could not shake off a sense that I had forgotten one of the most important lessons my job had taught me. There was no one truth, there was no one story. Instead there were, behind every case, just webs of messy lives. To look for the truth in a case was to forget my role. It was my responsibility to guide those who came my was as best I could through the law and its systems, with humanity and empathy. It was my job to give them, as far as I was able, what they wanted. And I must try to do this even when what they wanted was not always, in the end, actually justice."
Many of the cases she describes are gut wrenching. From police abuse, to paedophile material on a youngster's computer, from two children going to court probably to cover up for their drug dealing mother, to an indebted drug dealer prostituting herself to her suppliers. The cases that affected me most were her description of a searing custody case, where the bitterness between the parents seemed to overrule any consideration of the children.
The other case that particularly touched me was that of a young woman - Maggie - regarded as being an unsuitable parent. Her first child had been taken away from her, and now she had a second child, a son. The social workers wanted to take the second child away too. Initially she had agreed to this, but then she changed her mind. Langford was defending her. In court Maggie spoke of the projects and classes she was doing - the anger management course, the drug and alcohol groups she was going to join. She was desperate to keep her child.
Langford is more than sympathetic towards the attitude of the social workers who want to take the child away...but she feels that these mothers are sometimes not given a fair chance to change their their situation for better. In this chapter we follow the court cases surrounding the plight of Maggie and her son.
Throughout the book I was impressed with the levels of distress and unhappiness that Langford was able to deal with. She wasn't impervious to it, as her writing shows, but she copes, and she tries to help people.
It was also good to get insight as to what goes on in the courts, and the incredibly difficult issues that are dealt with there.
An excellent read.
-----------------------------------------
Just in case anyone is interested - a video on parent & child placements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65YKV...
September 14, 2018
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
In barrister turned author Sarah Langford’s book, ‘In Your Defence: Stories of Life and Law’, we meet eleven clients that Sarah represented (or had legal dealings with) and which their stories had have stayed with her. The cases are varied and whilst some were handled in the family courts, others were serious enough to go before the Crown.
Each chapter is a new case. At the beginning, you are given the clients name, where they were tried and the law which their crime comes under. For example, the first case is that of Dominic who was tried at Oxford Magistrate Court and Oxford Crown Court. The legal issue is covered under ‘Children and Young Persons Act 1933, Section 50 – Age of Criminal Responsibility’.
Each case is unique and they were all very interesting. Some were heartbreaking, whilst others were heartwarming. The book does read like a fictional story, yet you are conscious that it is all real. You not only get to find out about the clients but also about Sarah herself too. Some stories are also truly harrowing, whilst others might have you wanting to know why Sarah would take the case on.
The book was riveting and I felt fully engaged the whole way through. I do like criminal case stories, whether real or fictional, so this book was right up my alley. It was an interesting look at the UK’s criminal justice service and how it works. I was surprised to learn how close to the court case that Sarah gets the paperwork, sometimes only a matter of hours before.
Sarah’s voice comes across so clear and she has a way of engaging the reader. The words just flowed naturally and I would love to have read about more cases as I was that intrigued in Sarah’s legal world.
In barrister turned author Sarah Langford’s book, ‘In Your Defence: Stories of Life and Law’, we meet eleven clients that Sarah represented (or had legal dealings with) and which their stories had have stayed with her. The cases are varied and whilst some were handled in the family courts, others were serious enough to go before the Crown.
Each chapter is a new case. At the beginning, you are given the clients name, where they were tried and the law which their crime comes under. For example, the first case is that of Dominic who was tried at Oxford Magistrate Court and Oxford Crown Court. The legal issue is covered under ‘Children and Young Persons Act 1933, Section 50 – Age of Criminal Responsibility’.
Each case is unique and they were all very interesting. Some were heartbreaking, whilst others were heartwarming. The book does read like a fictional story, yet you are conscious that it is all real. You not only get to find out about the clients but also about Sarah herself too. Some stories are also truly harrowing, whilst others might have you wanting to know why Sarah would take the case on.
The book was riveting and I felt fully engaged the whole way through. I do like criminal case stories, whether real or fictional, so this book was right up my alley. It was an interesting look at the UK’s criminal justice service and how it works. I was surprised to learn how close to the court case that Sarah gets the paperwork, sometimes only a matter of hours before.
Sarah’s voice comes across so clear and she has a way of engaging the reader. The words just flowed naturally and I would love to have read about more cases as I was that intrigued in Sarah’s legal world.
April 11, 2018
I would like to thank the publishers Doubleday Books for sending me a physical ARC of In Your Defence in exchange for an honest review!
This one did take me a while to read but that was basically I found all of the case stories inspired by real-life court cases extremely interesting. The author herself works in law as a defence barrister and In Your Defence chronicles a selection of her most memorable cases from her time in the courtroom. Some of them contained topics that were hard to read about since as rape, drugs and an abusive relationship but I liked how each case story got to the point and the majority of backstory was interesting to read about. I appreciated the notes section at the back of my ARC copy which talks about various laws in greater detail, in a way that is easy to understand. The pacing did drag a little but overall, it was a good real-life experience and one I can recommend!
This one did take me a while to read but that was basically I found all of the case stories inspired by real-life court cases extremely interesting. The author herself works in law as a defence barrister and In Your Defence chronicles a selection of her most memorable cases from her time in the courtroom. Some of them contained topics that were hard to read about since as rape, drugs and an abusive relationship but I liked how each case story got to the point and the majority of backstory was interesting to read about. I appreciated the notes section at the back of my ARC copy which talks about various laws in greater detail, in a way that is easy to understand. The pacing did drag a little but overall, it was a good real-life experience and one I can recommend!
August 31, 2019
“I had forgotten one of the most important lessons my job had taught me. There was no one truth, there was no one story. Instead there were, behind every case, just webs of messy lives. To look for the truth in a case was to forget my role. It was my responsibility to guide those who came my way as best I could through the law and its systems, with humanity and empathy. It was my job to give them, as far as I was able, what they wanted. And I must try to do this even when what they wanted was not always, in the end, actually justice.”
Sarah Langford is a barrister, a court/trial lawyer with a particular passion for criminal law. In this collection of eleven cases from magistrate and crown courts, Langford tells the stories of a wide variety of people she represented—among them: a young offender who chronically burgled badly; a man charged with gross indecency for “cottaging” (engaging in sex in a public lavatory); a Bangladesh-born, non-English-speaking young wife whose violent husband seeks to gain custody of their young child; an 18-year-old possible pedophile; and a 22-year-old mother, herself the daughter of chaos and dysfunction, who has already had one child taken away and now stands to lose her newborn son.
Langford’s book is mostly both entertaining and educational. The cases read like short stories with fully fleshed-out characters, psychological insights, and often suspense. Legal terms are usually seamlessly incorporated and explained within the main body of the text, but the reader can also check footnotes, which provide more detailed information.
The reader learns how the courts work, how a case is processed, and something about the daily life of barrister, who is not only responsible for properly representing clients’ stories and interests, but also an interpreter, a social worker, psychiatrist, educator, and even a parent at times. Langford’s ethical dilemmas, emotional responses, her wrangling with her own more shameful reactions to clients and their stories are laid out honestly for the reader to consider. Langford is an intelligent and likeable guide whom I enjoyed spending time with.
Sarah Langford is a barrister, a court/trial lawyer with a particular passion for criminal law. In this collection of eleven cases from magistrate and crown courts, Langford tells the stories of a wide variety of people she represented—among them: a young offender who chronically burgled badly; a man charged with gross indecency for “cottaging” (engaging in sex in a public lavatory); a Bangladesh-born, non-English-speaking young wife whose violent husband seeks to gain custody of their young child; an 18-year-old possible pedophile; and a 22-year-old mother, herself the daughter of chaos and dysfunction, who has already had one child taken away and now stands to lose her newborn son.
Langford’s book is mostly both entertaining and educational. The cases read like short stories with fully fleshed-out characters, psychological insights, and often suspense. Legal terms are usually seamlessly incorporated and explained within the main body of the text, but the reader can also check footnotes, which provide more detailed information.
The reader learns how the courts work, how a case is processed, and something about the daily life of barrister, who is not only responsible for properly representing clients’ stories and interests, but also an interpreter, a social worker, psychiatrist, educator, and even a parent at times. Langford’s ethical dilemmas, emotional responses, her wrangling with her own more shameful reactions to clients and their stories are laid out honestly for the reader to consider. Langford is an intelligent and likeable guide whom I enjoyed spending time with.
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December 21, 2019A junior barrister's account of life at the coalface of the law, working with some pretty disastrous people and a system that is pretty much destroyed by underfunding. (Read The Law is Broken by The Secret Barrister, the state of this is horrifying.)
It's a good, humane, fascinating read, well written and engaging, and just a *tad* liable to make you want to move to a yurt and never speak to another human again because God people are awful.
It's a good, humane, fascinating read, well written and engaging, and just a *tad* liable to make you want to move to a yurt and never speak to another human again because God people are awful.
December 17, 2018
3.5 🌟 stars
Erm for me this was a book of two parts, there was the frustrated author air to this in parts, "the wispy tendrils of the morning fog were ever evident on the cold ground"
But when you get to the meat and two veg of it this is a unique and thought provoking book that does not pull its punches. The family Court chapters are particularly hard if you are a parent.
Worth a read when it comes out on paperback
Erm for me this was a book of two parts, there was the frustrated author air to this in parts, "the wispy tendrils of the morning fog were ever evident on the cold ground"
But when you get to the meat and two veg of it this is a unique and thought provoking book that does not pull its punches. The family Court chapters are particularly hard if you are a parent.
Worth a read when it comes out on paperback
March 1, 2020
An interesting look at what it means to be a barrister in today’s U.K. legal system. The author covers eleven of her most memorable cases, peppered with her thoughts on the justice system and a little of her life outside of the courtroom.
This was an articulately written account, and posed many thought provoking issues. The author is an English graduate before turning her hand to law, and her love of books, words and language is displayed in her book.
Recommend read for fans of true crime and those interested in what goes on behind the closed doors of the courtroom.
This was an articulately written account, and posed many thought provoking issues. The author is an English graduate before turning her hand to law, and her love of books, words and language is displayed in her book.
Recommend read for fans of true crime and those interested in what goes on behind the closed doors of the courtroom.
October 6, 2019
A book that is of great interest to me as I work in the law courts. It always strikes me, no matter how simple a case can be, in the final analysis a crime not only has repercussions with the perpetrator and the immediate victim, but can have far reaching consequences to people beyond the crime itself. There is no greater example of this than family cases where often the mother and father have few if any social skills, often they are drug dependant and a relationship that is in essence volatile can in no way tolerate the introduction of a child. Sarah Langford in her excellent novel explores cases she has directly been involved and a number are sadly family related.This is a sober account of our justice system in action and how we attempt to right the wrongs that people commit, people who never want to accept responsibility for their evil deeds.The author through a number of poignant examples give the reader a great insight into the workings of the law courts in modern society. Recommended.
March 2, 2020
Struggling a bit with the novel I was reading, I picked this up as a contrast - and enjoyable it was. Barrister Sarah Lanford here writes with intelligence and frankness about the legal process, with an insightful nature and with plenty of interest to say about her career in court. It was good, I enjoyed it, found it quite thought-provoking and it taught me a bit about the day-to-day happenings in the British legal system - from minor divorce disagreements through to serious rapes and attacks. Well written, and though there were some very difficult-to-read parts dealing with child sexual abuse and neglect, overall it was an approachable and readable book. What it could be accused of lacking in depth, it made up for in accessibility.
March 17, 2021
A fascinating insight into the life and work of a British barrister; the book outlines 11 cases that the author has been attached to during her legal career and the underlying issues that make them so interesting. It seems incredible to me that the job of a barrister isn't to seek justice for his/her client, but to just carry out the client's instructions/wishes. In one case, for example, the plaintiff pleaded guilty to a charge of theft (marked down from burglary) even though he was innocent of the crime, in order to avoid having to bring his mother into court to answer questions which would have identified her as a drug dealer. Amazing! In another case a wife who has been beaten by her husband asks for a shorter sentence for him because she knows he has mental health issues.
I was particularly drawn to the final case which was about a young boy wanting to stay with his father when his parents' marriage comes to an end and the court's obligation to do what was best for him.
The author shares the lessons she learns with the reader at the end of each case and you certainly start to understand the tightropes barristers have to tread in order to get a good outcome for their clients.
A really interesting book which shows how easy it is for one small incident to make a huge difference to someone's future. Riveting.
I was particularly drawn to the final case which was about a young boy wanting to stay with his father when his parents' marriage comes to an end and the court's obligation to do what was best for him.
The author shares the lessons she learns with the reader at the end of each case and you certainly start to understand the tightropes barristers have to tread in order to get a good outcome for their clients.
A really interesting book which shows how easy it is for one small incident to make a huge difference to someone's future. Riveting.
March 26, 2019
Fascinating book. I’ve always loved anything to do with the law and this makes for interesting reading. Sarah Langford has been involved in a wide range of cases and shares 11 of them in this book, having changed some details to anonymise the people involved. It gives a good look at the workings of both the criminal and family courts and how the smallest details can make all the difference.
It only loses a star because it has notes on the text, but I didn’t realise til the end of the book as it’s mentioned very briefly at the beginning and there are no references, numbers etc throughout the text. Would have been better to reference it so you can read the notes as you’re reading through the stories!
It only loses a star because it has notes on the text, but I didn’t realise til the end of the book as it’s mentioned very briefly at the beginning and there are no references, numbers etc throughout the text. Would have been better to reference it so you can read the notes as you’re reading through the stories!
September 17, 2018
An enjoyable read and an interesting insight into the judicial system. My only negatives are that I’d have preferred more details about the cases and less about the author. I know there were notes at the end but it would have made more sense to me if these had been with the cases.
I also found some of the language, particularly at the end of chapters, a bit flowery.
If I could give this 3.5 stars I would.
I also found some of the language, particularly at the end of chapters, a bit flowery.
If I could give this 3.5 stars I would.
January 31, 2019
I found this a bit rambling and somehow none of the stories seemed interesting. It was more a chance for the author to talk about their opinions on the law. A bit easy to make a book out of other peoples problems, I feel.
June 2, 2021
meh it was a decent book! some of the stories were so good and others were boring and dragged, overall probs would not read again
January 19, 2021
10 stars! Just so, so ace. Loved it even though I wanted to cry at over half the stories as well as the plea at the end for the justice system to be properly resourced and valued! You couldn't read this book and think otherwise.
August 1, 2018
Highly interesting book, walks you through the opaque world of family and criminal court. This book paints a realistic and appreciative view of parts of the UK legal system.
Highly appreciated reading about the chaos of families entering a system designed with lawyers and barristers at the heart, alone and representing themselves.
Legal aid cuts mentioned throughout which is to be expected also like the reference to the ramshackle nature of many of our Magistrates Courts.
Oddly enough I'd even like to have seen more about predictable fraud cases as the author put it, but I guess they made for a less interesting moral narrative.
Very easy to read, definitely worth it if you want a slice of the moral and social dilemmas you encounter being family and criminal court barrister.
Highly appreciated reading about the chaos of families entering a system designed with lawyers and barristers at the heart, alone and representing themselves.
Legal aid cuts mentioned throughout which is to be expected also like the reference to the ramshackle nature of many of our Magistrates Courts.
Oddly enough I'd even like to have seen more about predictable fraud cases as the author put it, but I guess they made for a less interesting moral narrative.
Very easy to read, definitely worth it if you want a slice of the moral and social dilemmas you encounter being family and criminal court barrister.
June 24, 2020
An insightful journey through some unique cases that highlight the pitfalls and quirks of the British legal system guided by Sarah Langford’s role as the criminal defence barrister.
Langford is a brilliant author but I wanted to hear more! She briefly touches upon at the end of the book being a woman in a male-dominated profession and the sexism she faced but this felt like an afterthought to an otherwise fascinating book.
Langford is a brilliant author but I wanted to hear more! She briefly touches upon at the end of the book being a woman in a male-dominated profession and the sexism she faced but this felt like an afterthought to an otherwise fascinating book.
November 28, 2018
Great read. I love British Law and the workings of it. Interesting cases. Enjoyed feeding the author’s description of the court buildings set the scene perfectly.
January 5, 2025
Took me sooo long to read because of essay season but phenomenal, giving it 4.5🌟, really glad I have an insight into job of a barrister now
April 11, 2025
I loved every bit of this. This is a law book but it’s not about the lawyer, which is amazing because lawyers are very good at talking about being lawyers. Sarah is a masterful storyteller; I would love to sit in on one of her closings.
January 11, 2019
The antithesis of the simplistic tweet/news headline culture, this is a careful, humane, eloquent, honest and (actually) loving description of the English legal system.
More specifically, "In Your Defence..." is a contemporary account of the work of an ordinary Barrister, plying their trade in the run-of-the-mill magistrate and Crown courts in the south of England, practising in criminal defence and the family courts.
Surprising in its ordinariness, the work described is far from the world of the elite, glamorous and very well paid QCs practising in the famous London courts. Instead we're shown a picture of contemporary England through 11 cases and 11 clients that Sarah Langford has represented.
Not always an easy read as the heartbreaking and woeful scenarios are laid out, but in giving us such a descriptive and accessible account it feels that a public service has been delivered.
More specifically, "In Your Defence..." is a contemporary account of the work of an ordinary Barrister, plying their trade in the run-of-the-mill magistrate and Crown courts in the south of England, practising in criminal defence and the family courts.
Surprising in its ordinariness, the work described is far from the world of the elite, glamorous and very well paid QCs practising in the famous London courts. Instead we're shown a picture of contemporary England through 11 cases and 11 clients that Sarah Langford has represented.
Not always an easy read as the heartbreaking and woeful scenarios are laid out, but in giving us such a descriptive and accessible account it feels that a public service has been delivered.
November 14, 2022
Excellent, just excellent. Beautifully written, poignant and rich.... and most importantly, legally correct. This was most definitely written by someone whose eyes have been in the courtroom and experienced the law with such intimacy and to such an extent that no laypeople (or even solicitors like myself) can ever hope to ever come close.
March 11, 2023
I found the insight that this book provides on the role of the barrister, and the real and profound impact a barrister can have on the lives of those they represent, fascinating and moving. Sarah Langford’s compassion comes through in every story, and my only regret is that she is no longer a barrister.
April 24, 2020
4.5 stars
"i was a hired mouthpiece, paid to lend my gifts of education and art to my clients, and to lead them, in all their shades of grey, through the black and white of the law. i was paid to tell their stories for them when they could not do so themselves."
"i was a hired mouthpiece, paid to lend my gifts of education and art to my clients, and to lead them, in all their shades of grey, through the black and white of the law. i was paid to tell their stories for them when they could not do so themselves."
March 25, 2019
I couldn't put this down - the book I wanted The Secret Barrister to be.
January 4, 2024
This was a book that grew on me as time went on. There were a lot of one liners in this book that stuck with me. For example, how the systems call someone’s child ‘the baby’ or refer to parents of a child as ‘the mother’ or ‘the father’. It is a display of how the system almost tries to rip away a person’s individuality, at the ‘gain’ of trying to make a less emotional decision.
Although some cases were better to read about than others, I learnt something from every single one. I really enjoyed learning about the court systems in the UK in more depth, and as a result gained more respect for the system too. A lot of the time, we hear about decisions courts have wrongly made, but it was great to read about positive things the courts have done, as well as understanding the pressures that courts are battling against.
I also really enjoyed how the author would ask herself moral questions throughout the book, very similar to questions I was thinking about, triggered by the person she had to defend, the decisions of the courts, or the legal system as whole.
Finally, I could not agree more that what we see in courts is an extension of society itself. It is a display of where we are in society, and whether we have improved or worsened the society we live in. Funding of the legal system is vital and I hope we continue to value this system as a foundation and backbone of our society, one we cannot live without.
Although some cases were better to read about than others, I learnt something from every single one. I really enjoyed learning about the court systems in the UK in more depth, and as a result gained more respect for the system too. A lot of the time, we hear about decisions courts have wrongly made, but it was great to read about positive things the courts have done, as well as understanding the pressures that courts are battling against.
I also really enjoyed how the author would ask herself moral questions throughout the book, very similar to questions I was thinking about, triggered by the person she had to defend, the decisions of the courts, or the legal system as whole.
Finally, I could not agree more that what we see in courts is an extension of society itself. It is a display of where we are in society, and whether we have improved or worsened the society we live in. Funding of the legal system is vital and I hope we continue to value this system as a foundation and backbone of our society, one we cannot live without.
July 14, 2020
Because of the Covid lockdown and not having to deal with my daily commute to work, it has been a while since I used one of my Audible tokens, but this book did not disappoint from beginning to end.
I am sure it helped that I could relate to some of the terms and situations because of my own knowledge of the court system, but I really did enjoy the way Sarah Langford brings her stories and experience to the page.
This is a book that has not only some educational information along the way, and almost edge of the seat "I wonder what happened next" stories, it also has an honest and warming mixed of emotions on how the author was feeling and how she reflected on some very difficult cases.
Most certainly one you should read - whether you have a real interest in the law or not!
I am sure it helped that I could relate to some of the terms and situations because of my own knowledge of the court system, but I really did enjoy the way Sarah Langford brings her stories and experience to the page.
This is a book that has not only some educational information along the way, and almost edge of the seat "I wonder what happened next" stories, it also has an honest and warming mixed of emotions on how the author was feeling and how she reflected on some very difficult cases.
Most certainly one you should read - whether you have a real interest in the law or not!
October 19, 2023
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a book as much as this one!
Sarah describes really well how, just because someone is accused of a crime, doesn’t mean they are guilty - or if they are, there can be complex reasons behind it - or the perpetrator can simply be an evil person. It is rare that cases are straightforward, and I also found the descriptions interesting about how devastating divorce can be on children.
Having worked in the law for a number of years, I know I could never be a barrister, but I have great admiration for barristers. I found it particularly interesting as I have worked with Sarah’s chambers.
This was my ideal read and I’d highly recommend it - I’d love there to be a sequel!
Sarah describes really well how, just because someone is accused of a crime, doesn’t mean they are guilty - or if they are, there can be complex reasons behind it - or the perpetrator can simply be an evil person. It is rare that cases are straightforward, and I also found the descriptions interesting about how devastating divorce can be on children.
Having worked in the law for a number of years, I know I could never be a barrister, but I have great admiration for barristers. I found it particularly interesting as I have worked with Sarah’s chambers.
This was my ideal read and I’d highly recommend it - I’d love there to be a sequel!
June 4, 2020
If only this had been on the reading list!
This was a great read. I thought the inclusion of the legislation prior to each account really helped me to understand how the charge related to the individuals (alleged) actions in a very clear and practical way. This book would have helped me greatly whilst studying criminal evidence because of how well the author includes details that sometimes you are just expected to know; and she does this in a way that I have not found in any textbook so far, especially in so few words! In particular, I enjoyed her love of the law and her pride in being an instrument of the law. I would recommend this book for all, whether you are interested in the law or not because it is apparent in the writing that this author is a reader and has created a book that all readers can enjoy.
This was a great read. I thought the inclusion of the legislation prior to each account really helped me to understand how the charge related to the individuals (alleged) actions in a very clear and practical way. This book would have helped me greatly whilst studying criminal evidence because of how well the author includes details that sometimes you are just expected to know; and she does this in a way that I have not found in any textbook so far, especially in so few words! In particular, I enjoyed her love of the law and her pride in being an instrument of the law. I would recommend this book for all, whether you are interested in the law or not because it is apparent in the writing that this author is a reader and has created a book that all readers can enjoy.
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