Fireside Chat with Her Honour, Wendy Joseph KC
For the Rag’s first Fireside Chat of the year, members and guests were joined by Her Honour, Wendy Joseph KC, a retired High Court judge who sat for a decade at the Old Bailey. She is the author of Rough Justice and Unlawful Killings, which are reflection of 50 years in the law since she was called to the Bar as a barrister in 1975.
The evening was just after a verdict had been passed on the Southport murders with Axel Rudakubana sentenced to 52 years in prison. Those attending either sitting soft in the Drawing Room, or joining online, with a select few of the former taking to the supper table afterwards in the Coffee Room for an even more in-depth discussion, had the benefit of this master in decoding the reasons for such a punishment and the nuances in play. Her words recently on BBC Radio 4’s World at One explaining the challenges a judge faces when someone is lying in court – in this instance, MI5 – illustrated further her dedication to the task of ensuring a greater understanding of the law so that the judicial system commands the respect needed to maintain a civil society. Or as Wendy puts it all the more pertinently, to keep all safe.
Wendy’s books further help with us outstanding nuances of the law. Rough Justice considers, among other issues, the courts’ handling of minors, and whether women receive justice as things stand..
Do we have the law we deserve, Wendy asks (on the jacket of this book, due out on April 24th in paperback)? She is certainly deserving of thanks for a hugely insightful evening (and was very glad to receive a bottle of Rag champagne to mark a half century of service to the law and judiciary).
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457685/rough-justice-by-kc-her-honour-wendy-joseph/9781804992661
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/446641/unlawful-killings-by-kc-her-honour-wendy-joseph/9781804990902
