True stories of life and law delivered by barrister Sarah Langford – In Your Defence.
In Your Defence – the blurb
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.
With remarkable candour, Sarah describes eleven cases which reveal what goes on in our criminal and family courts: these are tales of domestic fall out, everyday burglary, sexual indiscretion, and children caught up in the law. They are sometimes shocking and they are often heart-stopping. She examines how she feels as she defends the person standing in the dock. She also shows us how our attitudes and actions can shape not only the outcome of a case, but the legal system itself.
On the crest of a wave
Sometimes there will be a break through book. A book that sells well, gets people talking, and you know that right behind it others of the same ilk (for better or worse) will follow. Now I’m not sure whereabouts In Your Defence falls into the timeline as I am reading this some 18 months after its first release, but I know that we are just about coming off the back of the work/life, secret diary/ non fiction wave that included the very good This is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay and The Secret Barrister. I don’t normally like ‘on trend’ books as I feel that once I have read one, I have read them all. In Your Defence however was the first law book I came across of this type and being an ex solicitor my interest was piqued.
True Story
Sarah delivers 11 stories, each case illustrating a certain point of law and the people caught by it. Some are shocking, some provoke rage but all are true. Names, dates, locations have been changed, but regardless of the fact we are reading about ‘Helena’ when it could be ‘Eve’ the fact remains we are reading about two twins whose parents have fought over them almost their whole life. Shocking. Some should read this book and hang their heads in shame at the stories Sarah tells.
Not a legal text book
I have sat behind a barrister before as a solicitor. I have been in Court when a judge delivered a verdict as to who a child should live with. I’m familiar with the pink string, the black gowns, the time spent outside Court waiting. Yet even without this I would have understood the book. Sarah delivers just the right amount of legality/just the right amount of explanation. This is not meant to be legal text book but a look at how the law effects the people, what is true and what is right. On all of these points Sarah nails it perfectly.
I really enjoyed In Your Defence. Even if you have read an excess of work related stories recently it’s well worth a read. Sarah clearly loves her job and believes in the law and we are all the better for having her in it.