Under The Wig - Clegg, William

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Résumé :
How can you speak up for someone accused of a savage murder? Or sway a jury? Or get a judge to drop a case? In this vivid memoir, veteran English lawyer William Clegg revisits his most intriguing trials, from the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando to the UK's first prosecution for Nazi war crimes. All the while the celebrated advocate lays bare the secrets of his profession, from the rivalry among barristers to the nervous moments before a verdict comes back - and how our right to a fair trial is now at risk. Under the Wig is for anyone who wants to know the reality of a murder trial. Switch off the TV dramas and plunge into the criminal law in action. Well-known cases featured: Murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common Chillenden Murders of Dr Lin and Megan Russell Lee Clegg, when Labour leader Keir Starmer was his junior Murder of Jill Dando First Nazi war crimes prosecution in the UK Murder of Joanna Yeates Rebekah Brooks Phone Hacking Trial A barrister for 47 years, William 'Bill' Clegg has been the go-to lawyer for complex murder and fraud cases for decades. He headed 2 Bedford Row, a leading criminal barristers chambers in London. Reviews 'Countless veteran lawyers have produced page-tuners based in the fictional world of law, but in Under the Wig William Clegg, QC, has distilled his extraordinary life in the criminal courtroom into a yarn equally as gripping. 'He has had the undoubted advantage of having appeared in some of the most high profile of cases of the modern era, including the murder of the TV presenter Jill Dando, the Chillenden Murders, the Colin Stagg case and the prosecution of Private Clegg in Northern Ireland. 'But the silk deals with them like a textbook legal hero - highly analytical, taking nothing for granted and, in most cases, able to undermine a dodgy prosecution argument with a deadly accuracy.' - The Times 'One of England's best barristers provides a fascinating sometimes hilarious combination of a personal odyssey and insider accounts of the most important and famous court cases of recent times. 'From the infamous case of Colin Stagg and the Wimbledon Murders to war crimes in Belarus and Bosnia and the Murdoch phone hacking trials we share and applaud the author's deep commitment to justice and his infectious enthusiasm for one of the world's greatest professions. An absolute must read for anyone who aspires to join it (and anyone who already has.)' - Bob Marshall-Andrews QC 'Bill Clegg's memoir draws on some of the most high-profile criminal prosecutions of recent years to illuminate the career of a defence lawyer at the peak of his success. 'Deftly weaving personal reminiscences into the view from counsel's bench, he solves one high-profile murder case long before the police and ensures that justice is finally done in another after the tactics adopted by a better-known QC have led to a miscarriage of justice. 'Unlike many works of this genre, Clegg's case-book eschews endless exchanges with long-forgotten judges, lawyers and villains. Like the successful jury advocate that he is, Clegg reduces his story to its essence. He speaks plainly, sparing us the the bombast and the braggadocio.' 'And those who still aspire to join the criminal bar will learn more from Clegg than Clegg ever did from Perry Mason.' - Joshua Rozenberg QC...

Biographie:
As London's leading murder case lawyer, William Clegg represented clients at some of the best-known criminal trials in English legal history.In all during 47 years as a leading advocate, he fought more than 100 murder cases, more than any other barrister currently practising in Britain.His cases ranged from serial killers to alleged Nazi war criminals to ordinary members of the public innocently caught up in police investigations. They include:- the Wimbledon Common Murder of Rachel Nickell- the Chillenden Murders (Dr Lin and Megan Russell)- the Earprint Murder- the Murder of Jill Dando- Private Lee Clegg (Northern Ireland)- the Murder of Joanna Yeates- Nazi War Crimes in Britain- Rebekah Brooks's Phone Hacking Trial and- International War Crimes Tribunal (Yugoslavia)When Clegg represented paratrooper Lee Clegg in Belfast, his junior in the long-running appeal case was Keir Starmer, future leader of the Labour Party.A Queen's Counsel (now King's Counsel), Clegg capped his long-running career at the Bar as head of chambers at 2 Bedford Row in London. He is now retired and lives in Sussex.

Sommaire:
Introduction: How can you defend a man like that?

Case 1: The Wimbledon Common Murder

Perry Mason and the Art of Advocacy

Case 2: The Murder of Samantha Bisset

Ronnie Trott, pupil master

Case 3: The Chillenden Murders

Learning how to fight a case

Case 4: Helen Hodgson

Mutiny at 3 Hare Court

Case 5: Waking the Dead in Belarus

How to Become a QC

Case 6: Andrusha the Bastard

Defending Fraudsters

Case 7: Convicted by Earprint

Winning the Trust of a Judge

Case 8: Private Clegg and the Joyriders (when Labour leader Keir Starmer was his junior)

How to Appeal to a Jury

Case 9: A Murder Without a Body?

21st Century Set

Case 10: War Crimes in the Balkans

Inside Chambers: Rivalry and Camaraderie

Case 11: The Murder of Jill Dando

Bribery and Corruption

Case 12: A Ghetto Shoot-out in Jamaica

Trying Times for Legal Aid

Case 13: The Murder of Joanna Yeates

Private Clients

Case 14: The Phone Hacking Trial

Afterword: A Life of Crime

Acknowledgements

Index