The SB here advances a view prevalent in the legal world that our justice system is broken, wrecked by the austerity of the Tories and the ignorant ravings of the tabloid press.

The legal profession feels it is not only unappreciated but required to preside over a system that is falling apart at the seams. It is almost impossible to engage a criminal lawyer in conversation without being subjected to a tirade about how awful everything is. A lawyer acquaintance, a QC no less, had long entreated me to read his, or her, blog. Step forward The Secret Barrister – the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Bar. If only someone could articulate their grievances and champion their cause. But even before pestilence stalked the land they thought they were getting a pretty raw deal. Since most lawyers (certainly the courtroom as opposed to City variety) are sole traders, they are getting hit especially badly by the coronavirus shutdown. So why, they ask, are they treated so badly? Starved of cash by the Government, traduced by the press, pilloried for getting the bad guys off, unloved and, in many cases, close to despair. And yet, as we are a country defined by the rule of law, our courts, judges, magistrates, barristers and solicitors are the guardians of our very liberties. Suspicion of the legal profession has long run deep in this country, much to the consternation of its practitioners. In Fake Law, the Secret Barrister debunks the lies and builds a defence against the abuse of our law, our rights and our democracy that is as entertaining as it is vital.'The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Shakespeare has always got a laugh for that joke (assuming it was a joke) in Henry VI Pt 2, even to this day. Thankfully, the Secret Barrister is back to reveal the stupidity, malice and incompetence behind many of the biggest legal stories of recent years. This 'fake law' allows the powerful and the ignorant to corrupt justice without our knowledge - worse, we risk letting them make us complicit. Our unfamiliarity is dangerous because it makes us vulnerable to media spin, political lies and the kind of misinformation that frequently comes from loud-mouthed amateurs and those with vested interests. But the law touches every area of our lives: from intimate family matters to the biggest issues in our society.

Could the courts really order the death of your innocent baby? Was there an illegal immigrant who couldn't be deported because he had a pet cat? Are unelected judges truly enemies of the people? Most of us think the law is only relevant to criminals, if we even think of it at all.

Fake law book