The Justice Game

Review ------ As a young Australian barrister, Robertson found himself involved in the Oz trial; a frothingly moralistic judge went to some lengths to jail three editors of an underground magazine, and was duly humiliated on appeal. Success leads to rtunity; Robertson has found himself at the heart of a sequence of crucial freedom of expression trials--the Gay Newsblasphemy trial, the attempt to bust the National theatre over a play in which male rape took place, the arrest of a painter whose chosen subject was bank notes. His account of his career concentrates on these, and on his own entire brilliance in them; he is not a modest man, nor is there any particular reason why he should be, especially given how sharp and witty his accounts are. Robertson has also been involved in other causes cèlebres--he knows all about the Michael X case, and a variety of other capital cases in the Caribbean, and is fascinating on the Matrix Churchill case and the various libel actions around the "cash for questions" sleaze row. Anyone interested in the issues is going to find this a useful book--but the average intelligent reader is going to find the account of courtroom battles a guilty pleasure in itself. --Roz Kaveney Review ------ "For all his reputation as a radical lawyer, flailing at the Establishment, he proves himself to be a believer" (Independent) "This wonderful book...reads like a John Grisham, infused with moral anger" (Independent) "Well-written, powerful...Robertson's work has changed the way government works, and made it more accountable...a good read for people of any age" (Jack Straw New Statesman) "Geoffrey Robertson Q.C. is one of those few fearless and romantic lawyers dedicated to reducing the difference between law and justice" (David Jessel Scotland on Sunday) "Compellingly told, entertaining, sometimes hilarious and always illuminating" (John Mortimer)

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