Under the Wig: A Lawyer's Stories of Murder, Guilt and Innocence

by William Clegg

'GRIPPING' - The Times

How can you speak up for someone accused of a savage murder? Or sway a jury? Or get a judge to drop a case?

In this memoir, murder case lawyer William Clegg revisits his most intriguing trials, from the acquittal of Colin Stagg to the shooting of Jill Dando, to the man given life because of an earprint.

All the while he lays bare the secrets of his profession, from the rivalry among barristers to the nervous moments before a verdict comes back, and how our right to a fair trial is now at risk.

Under the Wig is for anyone who wants to know the reality of a murder trial. It has been praised as "gripping" by The Times, "riveting" by the Sunday Express and "fascinating" by the Secret Barrister, who described the author as "one of our country's greatest jury advocates."

Several prominent barristers, including Matthew Scott and Bob Marshall-Andrews QC, have said Under the Wig is a "must read" for anyone with an interest in the criminal law. Switch off the TV dramas and see real criminal law in action.

Well-known cases featured:

The Murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common
The Chillenden Murders (Dr Lin and Megan Russell)
The Trial of Private Lee Clegg
The Murder of Jill Dando
The first Nazi war crimes prosecution in the UK
The Murder of Joanna Yeates
The Rebekah Brooks Phone Hacking Trial

REVIEWS

'This is a gripping memoir from one of our country's greatest jury advocates, offering a fascinating, no-holds-barred tour behind the scenes of some of the most famous criminal cases of modern times.'

- The Secret Barrister

'Countless veteran lawyers have produced page-tuners based in the fictional world of law, but in Under the Wig William Clegg, QC, has distilled his extraordinary life in the criminal courtroom into a yarn equally as gripping.'

- The Times

'One of England's best barristers provides a fascinating sometimes hilarious combination of a personal odyssey and insider accounts of the most important and famous court cases of recent times.

'From the infamous case of Colin Stagg and the Wimbledon Murders to war crimes in Belarus and Bosnia and the Murdoch phone hacking trials we share and applaud the author's deep commitment to justice and his infectious enthusiasm for one of the world's greatest professions. An absolute must read for anyone who aspires to join it (and anyone who already has.)'

- Bob Marshall-Andrews QC

'Bill Clegg's memoir draws on some of the most high-profile criminal prosecutions of recent years to illuminate the career of a defence lawyer at the peak of his success.

'Deftly weaving personal reminiscences into the view from counsel's bench, he solves one high-profile murder case long before the police and ensures that justice is finally done in another after the tactics adopted by a better-known QC have led to a miscarriage of justice.

'Unlike many works of this genre, Clegg's case-book eschews endless exchanges with long-forgotten judges, lawyers and villains. Like the successful jury advocate that he is, Clegg reduces his story to its essence.'

- Joshua Rozenberg

'A must read if you've got any interest in the criminal law.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, Crime, True Crime, Memoir, Biography, Audiobook

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Petra wants the cats to leave dead rats outside]

If you are an American you won't know what a barrister is, nor what 'taking silk' means, so some definitions first., in spoilers so you can skip them if you are from the UK.

What a lawyer is. A lawyer is any person with a law degree who has been called to the bar. A solicitor is the person who will give advice and prepare a case up until court proceedings, solicitors do not represent you usually in court. A solicitor-advocate may represent you in court, but more generally this is what a barrister does. A barrister cannot be instructed by a client but only by the solicitor who prepares your case. He may give advice but more usually he will represent you in court.

What a barrister is. Junior counsel and senior counsel. Senior counsel have 'taken silk' and become QCs, Queen's Counsel. They can apply or be put forward for this after about 15 years experience, but it is not automatic and they won't necessarily get the appointment. Being 'junior' does not imply a lack of expertise, but they definitely don't cost so much!

Lawyers in the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, the legal set up is more similar to the US where a lawyer can represent you in court. A lawyer can become a QC if he is at the highest level of practice and often, just as in the UK may sit as a judge. However, major cases in the Caribbean will still usually have a barrister brought out from the UK to represent them.

Lawyers as judges and small anecdote about my slightly anarchic father as a JP. Lawyers may sit as stipendiary magistrates in the UK. These are paid, part time judges of cases beneath the level of the High Court. Ordinary magistrates, called Justices of the Peace, are appointed from the general populace and you cannot apply for this, it is an offer made by the Home Office to the individual. My father was a JP and got expenses only. I think he enjoyed the power. He didn't have a great deal of faith in the police, thought they told a lot of lies or skipped over things just to get convictions and liked to think he would uphold the case of the common man rather than accept the word of authority. I think this is why there are JPs from the general populace who are not part of the paid world of the law, so one is judged by one's peers. (Except they are usually middle-class professionals and business persons and rarely carpenters, construction workers or other working class people).

The author is unusual in that he comes from a very working-class background and made it all the way to the top as a QC keeping his accent and not adopting the public school 'posh' one more usually heard in the profession. My QC friend says that what a barrister does is to use his expertise to put your case forward, that justice has nothing to do with it, that's the job of the judge (and jury). But the author burns with the desire to see justice done and that's what makes the book so interesting.

A lot of the cases were very high-profile in the UK, so it is interesting to hear about them from the defence side rather than the prosecution and police side which made up the bulk of the reportage in the media (as it always does). The author often really likes his clients, but sometimes doesn't know what to make of them or despises them, this keeps things interesting, seeing just how he is willing to always do his best for people he thinks are disgusting and probably guilty of the crime he is defending them from and worse. He's not a flamboyant, extrovert who is an actor in the theatre of the court, but a more measured, calm individual who thinks things through and presents less on emotion and more on evidence for consideration.

Read this book if you are interested in crime from the defence side or are generally interested in legal stories set in the archaic UK system of law, common law, which dates from Richard I, 1189 and is only in part codified, unlike the entire documented laws of the US.

[Sara]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always been interested in the law. Not to the extent that I’ve wanted to be involved career wise (I’m firmly in team health professional), but I think it’s more an interest in the unknown and archaic world of the British justice system. It’s riddled with traditions that make it distinctly unique (mentioned here are the ‘nosegays’ given to judges at the Old Bailey, and the displaying of one of the great swords of the City of London in the court of the most senior judge) and I just find that fascinating. Under the Wig helps lift that lid into this rather closeted world, and really brought to life a world I, respectfully, hope never to be deeply involved in.

This read like a memoir in part, as we follow William Clegg QC he starts his career in law, eventually leading to him ‘taking the silk’ and becoming a barrister and head of chambers. Interspersed between this are the stories of some of his most memorable cases in the world of murder, fraud and war criminals. I liked this method of writing, because it broke up would could have been an otherwise ‘dry’ subject with injections of humour, compassion and humility. Law is so complicated, and the book needed this touch of ‘down to earth’ to appeal to a wider audience.

There were a number of topics that I had no idea about, especially Legal Aid, that I found really interesting. There was a distinct amount of passion for the subject of ‘pro bono’ cases, and the reduction in government funding that has a massive knock on effect in the profession that I had no idea about. Everything in law seems to have a cause and effect that influences everyone from the secretaries and clerks to the solicitors and barristers. It’s stressed a number of times that it’s seen as a family, and this was very endearing to me.

It was also really interesting to read a book from ‘the other side’, from a defence perspective rather than prosecution. This was particularly true in the Miss Yeates murder trial, where he was on the defence team. I found myself on a couple of occasions comparing it to a number of FBI heavy novels I’ve read (Mindhunter springs to mind), and seeing the various methods employed by both, and the differences they have. It was fascinating. William Clegg QC is very much anti capital punishment because of possible miscarriages of justice, and I thought he did a good job of putting his reasons for this across.

I did find at times that the author comes across as quite reserved, as if he’s holding something back. I think this is a downfall to his profession, where the poker face is key, but I really wanted a bit ‘more’ emotion. He readily admits at one point that he’s not sentimental or emotional, rapidly moving on from case to case (a decent coping mechanism with such a heavy workload) but I think I could have connected better with him if he’d shown a bit more vulnerability.

An excellent read into a world that before now has been largely hidden from me. Highly recommended for lovers of the law and true crime to gain a truely unique perspective from the defence side.

[Bookread2day]

I'm very interested in how the law works from all perspectives. Under the Wig is an excellent book about a barrister that describes his duties on some of the many high profile murder cases that we all have heard about, but wasn't clear about what went on behind the scenes with a murderer being questioned. Here Williiam Clegg QC gives us in brief, things that we never knew about a murder suspect, that has to be represented in court. So much detail in this book makes it a must read. A Lawyer 's Stories of Murder, Guilt and Innocence is totally unforgettable.

[Mr M J Peacock]

Ghost written by an ex-Sun journalist, so obviously written to the highest literary standards! Very self congratulatory and smug. Admits to getting his mate off a charge because of a “simple mistake” we all make, namely his mate naming his own wife as the driver of his speeding car, I mean who hasn’t made that “simple mistake”! Keeps on banging about about how poor Barristers are these days. Very disappointed in this book. If you want to read a good book about the criminal law and it’s Barristers then the “Secret Barrister” is a much better read. Avoid.

[Jasmine]

3.5

It's been a while since I read this, so I only remember vague bits of it. What I do remember is that this was very intriguing. A lot of 'lawyer's stories' are about innocent people who were wrongly convicted or unsolved murders. It was interesting to read stories from a criminal lawyer who moved to defend the criminals rather than the victims. I did enjoy learning more about cases I'd already heard of but didn't know all the facts for!

[Laura]

An excellent and in depth look at English law from one of the country’s most experienced practicing lawyers. This book uncovers what goes on behind the scenes of a modern day courtroom, and the many traditions that continue to be practiced to this day.

The author explores several well known criminal cases, and it was interesting to read his take on how they transpired. He is also mindful of client confidentiality, and only writes about details in the public domain. The only thing I would have liked to see in this book is the authors take on women in this very male dominated environment. Female judges and lawyers are mentioned in passing, but I would have loved to have read a short chapter on the authors experience of working with women in the profession, particularly judges.

I’m eager for a follow up to this book as I feel the author has a lot more stories to tell. This is an excellent book for those interested in law, crime and the complexities of the justice system.

[Karen Mace]

We've all seen the TV shows about law and wondered what goes on in the world of 'real' lawyers, and this book is a truly fascinating look behind the scenes thanks to one of London's top murder case lawyers as he looks back at a remarkable career and shares his stories of all he has seen over the years. And when you've been involved in as many high profile cases as William Clegg has, then there's lots to share!

From how he started in the world of law, to going behind the scenes at some of the most infamous trials he was involved in, I found this to be such an interesting read. He shares a number of outspoken opinions on cases he's been involved in as well as his thoughts on the system as it is and the many changes he's seen take place over the years - not all for the best! - as well as how technology has changed working on each cases. No such thing as the internet when he first started out!

From war criminals, murderers, the wrongly accused, and fraud cases, this is a book that covers a wide range of dealings inside the world of law and the grim reality of brutal cases which show it isn't like it is on TV.

The way the book plays out works so well as it spotlights high profile cases he was involved in, alongside his humble beginnings and how he worked his way up. There are flashes of humour that lighten the tone of the book and helped make it a really engrossing read.

My thanks to the author and publisher for an advanced readers copy in return for a fair and honest review.

[Sid Nuncius]

I thought Under The Wig was an excellent account of a barrister’s life.

William Clegg QC is a leading barrister with decades of experience in the practice of English law. In this commendably brief memoir he intersperses explanations of how a barrister’s life works and some reminiscences of his own progress with outlines of some famous cases where he has acted for the defence. These include Colin Stagg, cleared of killing Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common, Barry George, cleared of shooting Jill Dando and many others. Clegg (with his ghost writer, John Troup) has a crisp, honest, matter-of-fact style which I found both readable and very effective in conveying both the interesting factual elements and the more dramatic aspects of trial work.

At about 150 pages, Under The Wig says more than a lot of books twice its length. It is both a fascinating read and a welcome, timely account. If you have any interest whatsoever in legal matters and the way the law works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland I can recommend it very highly.

(My thanks to Canbury Press for an ARC via NetGalley.)

[Deborah Banks]

This man has had a cool legal career.

Fangirling right now x

[Hayley]

I really enjoy reading books about the law so when I spotted Under the Wig in the Read Now section of NetGalley recently I immediately downloaded it.

Under the Wig is the memoir of William Clegg QC and makes for a fascinating read. The book is told in alternating chapters where one chapter is about a famous case he has worked on and the other gradually tells his story of how he came to be a barrister.

William Clegg has worked on some very high profile cases and it was really interesting to hear about them from a defence barrister’s perspective. He gives his opinion on the outcome of each particular case in the course of a chapter and I really appreciated that. He covers cases such as the murder of Jill Dando, where he worked on Barry George’s appeal. We also get to see how it is for a barrister to work for a man who has confessed to manslaughter such as in the case of Vincent Tabak (who was convicted of murdering Joanna Yeates at Christmas 2010).

I was particularly interested in the chapter about legal aid. I was well aware of cuts in legal aid as it’s often been in the news but I didn’t know the impact it was having in real terms. It’s shocking to see how much funding has been cut and the potential this has for preventing people from accessing a good defence team.

I’ve definitely come away from this book with a little more understanding of some aspects of the law than I had before. It makes more sense to me now how some points of a case get dropped early on, and how different points are argued during a trial.

This is a gripping book – one that once you start reading you just don’t want to put down. The writing flows and it reads like a fiction book in the sense that it’s very accessible and holds your interest from start to finish. I really enjoyed Under the Wig and definitely recommend it!

This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com

[Alex Donaldson]

An enjoyable and page turning read from start to finish.

William Clegg QC has been involved in some very high profile cases and authored this book to shed some light on those cases as well as demystifying the profession of barristers as a whole. The choice of using non-linear storytelling to jump between Clegg’s early days in Chambers, then to later in his career so that he could delve into his more complex cases was refreshing. Each chapter provided a new perspective and it really lend to the book not getting bogged down as too conventionally biographical or overly explanatory.

Being in the legal profession, I would have liked more detail (where legally disclosable) about the cases. Each presented in a very digestible way, but I felt that more detail would not have derailed the attention of a lay person, and perhaps added some layers into the the understanding of the job of a barrister in big-time cases.

It’s hard not to give five stars, as it was an enjoyable read. I think it felt quite light and brief, which was perfect to get back into reading. But I think I could’ve managed a bit more legalese to learn and explore.

[Denise Williams]

3.5
This is an interesting account of the author's progress in his chosen career and what happens both before a case gets to court and once it is before the judge.
Chapters are alternated with his role as defence in some of the more well known trials in this country.
It would be very easy for the book to have been weighed down with legal jargon, etc and become boring but this is not the case. The book is very easy to read and there are short notes of explanation where needed.

[Jo]

Clegg has worked as a barrister in London for almost 50 years. Here he tells of some of the cases he's dealt with as well as discusses his career in general. It's written in plain speech so there's little in the way of legal jargon to confuse ordinary readers and the chapters are short and succinct. It's an entertaining read that gives a small insight into the life of a top barrister.

[Mrs T J Giles]

Under the wig by William Clegg QC, A lawyers stories of murder, guilt and innocence. William Clegg revisits his most intriguing and high profile trials, reveals secrets of his profession. Great insight into trials but also highlighting the reduction in Legal Aid over the years. It's a dedicated 6am to 7pm job. Hard graft. Really enjoyable read. 4* paperback.

[Anna Rose]

An interesting and fun, quick read. Fascinating insights into the strange customs and workings of UK criminal barristers. Would have liked a bit more depth in some of the cases - many of which were very high profile UK ones - which would have added a bit more value to it. A little on the pompous and sanctimonious side at times - but overall, a good little read.

[Charlotte Conlan]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book it was really detailed and very interesting. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in criminal law and/or the legal profession.

[Jenny Smith]

I absolutely loved this book and raced through it. It was very easy to read and I liked the way the chapters alternated between cases, and elements of the law or legal profession. Barristers always fascinated me during my legal career and this was just my cup of tea!

[Jacob Stelling]

An interesting insight into the world of the barrister through the context of a number of interesting cases which shows the importance of a strong lawyer in preventing miscarriages of justice.

[Daisy]

absolutely fascinating

[Helina Donnelly]

Good summaries of various, interesting stories. What a career he has had

[Irkafirkasemmi]

3.5 stars

[Cmc10]

entertaining, quick, easy read but ultimately vapid and slightly out-of-touch and not as good as The Secret Barrister. what do you mean you went to uni AND bar school for free and got a pupillage from a family connection. what do you mean your personal "solution" to legal aid cuts was to just reduce the legal aid work you do. the final punchline comes in the afterword where it's revealed that, while usually he disconnects from clients/cases asap (he threw out a letter from someone he helped save from the death penalty) he kept close touch with a journalist who became his ghost writer for this book lol

[C.R. Spencer]

This book gives the reader into some of the insights into how a barrister operates in the English legal system using some famous cases as examples. I enjoyed those bits. However, the author freely admits to using a ghost writer to actually write the book. This for me, is a no-no, especially when he used a redundant hack from the disgraced News of the World tabloid newspaper. If you have a story to tell, then write the damn thing yourself, or don't bother.

What really annoyed me is the ghost writer's complete lack of knowledge of how commas should be used. Mostly, in this book, the lack of them is apparent. Poor editing, to say the least.

The author says that he was approached to write the book and eventually given a commission by a publisher. Yes, he has some very interesting stories to tell. But, if you are going to take on a work like this, do it right...

[Jessica]

Enjoyable book that flips between cases he has worked on and the day to day life as a barrister.
Probably the first book in 7 years that I’ve managed to read relatively quickly and picked up on a daily basis. There are a couple of reasons for it not getting a higher rating, the writing can be quite self aggrandising at times, and there are some key facts missed out from some of the cases, such as that of Jill Dando, that would portray things differently. This makes me question the level of detail included in the other case overviews.
Pleased I read this book however - quick, easy and interesting read.

[Catriona Jane]

Fascinating

A very interesting book chronicling the authors role in some of The defining legal cases in the last five decades, interspersed with the personal story of how he got to be where he is.

[Jess T]

A knock off secret barrister. It’s okay, has some interesting cases, but it lacks detail on the inner workings of the British legal system and could do with more data and statistics to put things into context.

It’s also ghost written by a sun journalist and has a waft of right wing about it, and he makes some wild statements like advocating for judges to continue working well into their 70s and 80s. Comes across as out of touch and pompous.

[Lisa Porter-Smith]

For a man who has had a very interesting career he has managed to produce an incredibly dull, dry book about said career!

There is an insufferable anecdote about toast that I can’t believe wasn’t edited out.

Barristers are supposed to be somewhat charming surely? To win over a jury? It is so hard to believe Clegg is such a successful QC as I got zero charisma from this book.

[Satyajit shetty]

Give it a miss; not worth the time.

[Ciaran McCarthy]

Finding out it was ghost written by an ex sun journalist ruined it

[Lucy-Bookworm]

A fascinating glimpse into a world that I am familiar with only through television and books – the law and particularly the world of criminal barristers.
In alternating chapters, William Clegg gives us an insight into not only his long & distinguished career as a barrister, QC and Judge, but also into some of the most high-profile cases that he worked on, including the murder of Rachel Nickell, the murder of Jill Dando, the murder of Lin Russell & her daughter and of men accused of war crimes. These were cases I recalled hearing about on the news.
Whilst we naturally don’t get all the detail of what happened in court, is interesting to read how the process works, especially if the barrister is not always convinced of his clients innocence! Unlike many of his colleagues, William Clegg was not from a privileged background, he was an ordinary chap who went to an ordinary school and became a barrister through his own hard work & determination. These humble beginnings seemed to give him a different approach in court & he always took time to explain things in ways his clients & the jury would understand - he also seemed to have an ability to see past the outward appearance of suspects (the local eccentric, the one who “looked guilty” or “probably did it”) to find the truth.
There are moments of real honesty, when he discusses the changes to the legal aid process in recent years, and why he is no longer able to take new legal aid cases “One reason I won’t take on any new public-funded cases is that the service I could offer would be substandard. I would not be able to instruct the experts I have been instructing for years ... and I would be faced with going to cheaper counterparts who I had less confidence in” He makes a justified argument that a serious and complex case such as murder requires a completely different set of skills and amount of work to a less serious crime such as theft & the remuneration that barristers get for each case should be appropriate.
I was also particularly struck by the way he detaches himself from emotionally draining and very difficult cases “remaining detached helps me stay focused on the law. Once I have finished a case and the immediate euphoria wears off, it becomes marked “old“ in my mind. I erase it and make space for the next one”

The book was written in a very approachable way, and I think that the humble origins of the author come through as he tries to write in a way that is accessible to the general public – there are some unusual words used, but this does not come across as an academic or highly learned book.


Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. All opinions are my own .