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In Your Defence

True Stories of Life and Law

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In Your Defence

By: Sarah Langford
Narrated by: Catherine Bailey
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of In Your Defence by Sarah Langford, read by Catherine Bailey.

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.

I loved this book. It made my heart sing. Written by a woman in the law with compassion, wit and legal know-how, these true life courtroom stories tell it like it is. - Helena Kennedy QC

©2018 Sarah Langford (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks
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Critic reviews

Sarah Langford has reinvented a genre ... [as a barrister she has turned] her experience of 11 criminal cases into short stories that are as compelling as fiction, with the added fascination of being essentially true ... Immensely powerful. (Jenni Russell)
A compelling read for anyone who cares about fairness, justice and humanity and should be on the reading list of all politicians and policy-makers. (Catherine Baksi)
[Langford] combines the demands of her job, the stories of those she represents and her own views and emotions with great skill...powerful, moving and often captivating. (Barney Thompson)
Vivid... surprisingly uplifting. A thoughtful, elegant book. ... it is often as thrilling as a detective novel. And sometimes it is moving: the last chapter had this reviewer in tears. (Thomas Grant, QC - author of Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories)
A riveting account of cases she's fought over nearly 10 years in the family courts. These are harrowing stories: of newborns taken by social services, of bitter divorces, of children trapped in the turbulence of addiction, gangs, or both, an unprecedented collection, moving, enraging and desperate, all told in Langford's cool, compelling prose. (Charlotte Edwardes)

What listeners say about In Your Defence

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    4 out of 5 stars

Insightful, clear & fascinating insight

Adored the narration of this book.
The chapters were each a case that started with the law concerned and then the case unfolded. Really compelling insight in to our justice system. Highly recommend

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2 people found this helpful

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Compulsive Listening

Wonderful with great narration. Could not stop listening to these trials with such a human content and emotions. Hope she writes another one.

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Great book !

As a law student I highly appreciated the insight in the life of a barrister.
easy to listen and the reader has an amazing voice , great intonation and voice fluctuation that takes into the story.

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3 people found this helpful

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Inspiring

Honest, raw, inspiring, uncomfortable... incredible. The best book I have read in a very long time.

From an aspiring criminal and family lawyer (from Suffolk!)

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Fantastic!

This book warrants my first review, an amazingly written book. Sarah Langford writes so honestly and is so relatable. I am studying law and the way she spoke is as if she saw things through how my eyes would also see them. Thoroughly enjoyed.

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Fantastic listen

Brilliant insight to the work of a criminal and family law barrister.,with good narated events.

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One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened too in a while.

This book is a compelling insight into the life of a barrister. Every chapter features characters from all walks of life; in all kinds of situations at the mercy of the legal system with all its strengths and flaws. Beautifully written and expertly read.

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a voyeuristic delight...

loved this book... too short in my estimation. well written and set at a great pace. even tempered and cases brilliantly explored explained and analysed. each case offers something different and gives great insight into the law, courts workings, the advocates and the defendant and their lives and circumstances. can't wait for the next instalment which there must surely be.

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Fascinating.

Fascinating stories within each chapter.
Beautifully written and eloquently narrated.
A highly Recommended and worthwhile read.

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Great legal content, a little too much "novel"

interesting legal content but the author's English background meant the writing style wasn't in keeping with the main thrust of why I bought the book i.e. to read about case law and the English legal system. If the flowery prose was toned down somewhat, this would have been 5s all round.

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