’Outstanding’ THE SECRET BARRISTER‘It’s brilliant, it’s comprehensive, buy it’ EVENING STANDARD‘A powerful, illuminating, enraging and inspiring read’ JESS PHILLIPS MP‘Precise, heartfelt and anti-pompous’ THE TIMES
Why is our criminal justice system so bad at protecting women from violence?
Reporting from the heart of the courtroom, this book sees barrister Harriet Johnson dissect the problems in our policing, laws and culture. How can we hold the police accountable, take stalking seriously and make justice a reality for sexual assault survivors?
This is an unforgettable case for change and a clear plan of how we can make it happen.
About the Author :
Harriet Johnson is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers specialising in human rights and criminal law, and a fierce advocate of women's rights. She is a founder member of Women in Criminal Law, Joint Chair of Trustees of the charity Women in Prison and in 2016 she founded #DoughtyStWomen events, an annual series of conferences to consider what more the law can do for women.
Harriet has given keynote legal addresses around the world, as well as speaking in the media about law and justice, particularly through the lens of gender.
Review :
A Waterstones ‘Best Books of 2022’ in Politics
‘Incredibly insightful … Johnson draws from law, from extensive experience at trial, and colours the text with specific cases … This is a book of great lucidity, mercifully devoid of legalese’
Irish Times
‘A short, urgent manifesto … peppered with real cases that Johnson has worked on or known … She is precise, heartfelt and anti-pompous’
The Times
‘Compelling and forensically written … She fills pages with vital facts to arm ourselves with so we can destroy lazy arguments. And then she lists what can and should be done to tackle root problems … It’s brilliant, it’s comprehensive, buy it. Give it to your male friends’
Evening Standard
‘An urgent and vital call to arms that compassionately and forensically exposes the many ways in which the way we do criminal justice fails women, and offers practical and clear-sighted solutions on how to inject meaningful change into a legal system built by men, for men. Powerfully argued and compellingly written, this is an outstanding debut from Harriet Johnson. It should be read by everybody involved in criminal justice’
The Secret Barrister
‘Harriet Johnson exposes the truth of how misogyny, corruption, underfunding and outdated systems pollute law and policing in our country. With shocking stories from the courtroom and deep research, this book is a powerful, illuminating, enraging and inspiring read’
Jess Phillips MP
‘A brilliant, forensic exposure of why women cannot get justice. Harriet Johnson is a wonderful lawyer who captures with rapier precision the way law sustains patriarchy, fosters misogyny and blocks radical change’
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, author of Misjustice
‘This book will empower the vulnerable and make the powerful empathetic. It’s the clearest, most compelling and urgent argument for change’
Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable
