The Practice of Judging
Format:Hardback
Publisher:London Publishing Partnership
Publishing:12th Nov '26
£29.99
This title is due to be published on 12th November, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
What is it like to be a judge? Can anyone, whatever their background, learn to do it well? In The Practice of Judging, to be published on 12 November, Sir Peter Coulson, who retired from the Court of Appeal in October after twenty-five years as a judge, answers this question from the inside. The book also has a foreword by Sir Colin Birss, the incoming Master of the Rolls.
Sir Peter sat at every level of the courts judiciary except district judge, from Recorder to Lord Justice of Appeal, and was judge in charge of the Technology and Construction Court. He argues that ‘judgecraft’ can be learned and taught, and he sets out to write ‘an instruction manual’: how you do it, not why. The book covers running a courtroom, handling counsel, sentencing, giving rulings on the spot and writing judgments, including the fifteen top tips that, as Sir Colin reveals in his foreword, once circulated among judges in ‘samizdat copies’.
Sir Peter also reflects candidly on cases where he believes he did justice and some where he fell short. Among the former are his two decisions refusing the Post Office permission to appeal in the litigation brought by sub-postmasters, which he describes as the decisions of which he is most proud.
And he is outspoken about the state of the system. He traces most of its problems to twenty-five years of underfunding, describes courts where rain drips into buckets, and proposes practical remedies: pay court staff properly, repair the court estate, and fund 100 criminal pupillages a year.
His ‘ten rules for beginners’ run from ‘be yourself’ and ‘be kind’ to ‘don’t talk, listen’ - a rule he enforced on himself with a Post-it note reading ‘Shut Up’. His Honor Judge Nigel Bird predicts the rules are ‘destined to be pinned on judicial noticeboards up and down the land’. Sir Mark Warby, President of the King’s Bench Division, calls the book invaluable reading for any judge. The afterword is by Thomas Grant KC, author of the bestselling book Court Number One.
For Sir Peter, the conclusion is simple: judging is ‘quite simply, the best job in the world’.
“This book, packed with practical wisdom and guidance delivered in the no-nonsense style Peter Coulson has made his own, is the ‘phone-a-friend’ companion that every new judge needs. His ‘ten rules for beginners’ are destined to be pinned on judicial noticeboards up and down the land.”
— His Honour Judge Nigel Bird, London Circuit Commercial Court
“Peter Coulson has drawn on the deep well of his experience to tease out lessons for others who would do the fascinating but challenging work of judging. As in his judicial work, he refuses to conform to the well-worn stereotypes. He lays out his thoughts with self-awareness, modesty, economy, clarity and wit. A fine raconteur, he resists the temptation to indulge himself, using anecdotes sparingly to illustrate his themes – including ‘Things not to do’. This is invaluable reading for any judge, not just those starting out in the role. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”
— Sir Mark Warby, President of the King’s Bench Division
ISBN: 9781916749832
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
238 pages