Reading time: three minutes

It’s the new year; new year’s resolutions are being flippantly passed around in quick conversations with colleagues, friends and family alike. Whether you believe in making them or not, they can sometimes be good ways of creating ambitions for yourself. I know that one of my goals this year is to read more non-fiction books, and especially ones relating to law. So, here’s a quick round up of a few books that I’ve heard of that are related to the legal sector – I hope they provide some reading inspiration for you

1. Spiderwoman by Lady Hale. 

Lady Hale was President of the Supreme Court from September 2017 to December 2019. She was also the first female Justice of the UK Supreme Court, appointed in October 2009. Her career has been extremely varied and interesting, taking on roles ranging from editor of the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law to being a practising barrister at the Manchester Bar. She also worked at the Law Commission, an organisation that works to reform the law. Evidently, Lady Hale has a lot to teach us. We can see that from her motto, adopted upon her appointment to the House of Lords, “women are equal to everything”. 

2. Misjustice: How British Law is Failing Women by Helena Kennedy. 

The description of this book given by online shops is that it “forensically examines the pressing new evidence that women are being discriminated against when it comes to the law”. It includes notes on how there’s a lack of female judges and insighst into what female prisons look like. Helena Kennedy is a criminal law barrister and particularly focuses on judicial review, public inquiries and sex discrimination work. I personally think that this book will prove hugely insightful in looking at the legal system that we’re placed in and highlighting what needs changing – things that we’re at times oblivious to. 

3. The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken by The Secret Barrister. 

Believe it or not, I haven’t read this book. I’m probably one of the last people to catch on to this. But I’m intrigued about the inner workings of the court room and how they’re run day to day, gaining insight from a first-hand account will reveal a lot. The book also reveals flaws within the justice system, highlighting the underfunding of the criminal justice system in particular. I can’t wait to get stuck into this one!

4. Is Eating People Wrong: Great Legal Cases and the Way they Shaped the World by Allan C Hutchinson. 

This one differs to the other three mentioned above. Firstly, it was published in 2011 and secondly it focuses on cases in the UK, US and Australia. It looks at important judicial cases that have carved the common law throughout the world today. The focus of the book is supposedly an exploration of how messy the common law system is, and to reemphasise how it’s a “bottom-up process”, in which crazy situations and circumstances come into play to carve the boundaries of our legal system. I’m looking forward to this one – it’ll certainly expand my thinking.