Book Review: The Secret Magistrate
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/02645505211035308 |
| Subject Matter | Book review |
Book review
The Secret Magistrate
Anonymous
Hawksmoor Publishing; 2020, pp. 331; £10.99, pbk
ISBN: 9781838099008
Reviewed by: Mike Guilfoyle, Retired member of Napo and
Magistrate
I approached reviewing this lively, very readable, and anonymised account of the
daily workings of a magistrate’s court with an unusual degree of gleeful anticipa-
tion. From a professional perspective as a serving magistrate, I had recoiled as
many other colleagues on the bench had, not at some of the more blisteringly
honest observations on the shortcomings of a creaking and under-resourced judicial
system, emanating from the bestselling author and blogger, The Secret Barrister,
but memorably for the purposes of this book, at what appeared unduly harsh and
unbalanced criticisms contained in the second chapter of the 2018 opus, entitled
‘The Wild West: The magistrates court’.
This book is neatly parcelled into 19 brief chapters with a bracing preface from
the former chair of the Magistrates Association Malcolm Richardson and a short
glossary of legal terms at the conclusion. It offers the interested reader (one hopes
it will be read beyond the narrow confines of inquisitive sentencers!) a timely and
measured magisterial counterblast. Written as it is from the perspective of a
bench chair (now called a presiding justice) ‘describing a year or so in the life of
an inner-city magistrate’with each chapter chronicling a day in court, penned
without any bilious polemical edge. The author has a keen and informed desire to
share with the reader, in a limpid style, the diverse range of responsibilities and
tasks that different types of court sittings present without glossing over some of the
well-rehearsed judicial frustrations and organisational shortcomings that currently
beset HMCTS!
Book review The Journal of Communit
y
and Criminal Justice
Probation Journal
2021, Vol. 68(3) 371–372
© The Author(s) 2021
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DOI: 10.1177/02645505211035308
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