Michael Mansfield

A radical lawyer with an unparalleled commitment to his clients, driven by anger at injustice and hypocrisy, intelligent, handsome and dynamic, Michael Mansfield has been tearing down the citadels of arcane legal conventions for more than forty years. Unafraid of rejection or failure, Michael has taken on the most difficult and challenging cases of our times and despite the odds, won plenty. In Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer Michael dissects many of them, revealing his motivations, meticulous show more approach to forensic science, cross examination techniques, the political dimensions and emotional reactions with clarity, subtlety and charm. Interspersed with personal anecdotes and recollections, this insightful book is liberally laced with Michael's quirky brand of anarchic humour. Cases range from the Angry Brigade, the Bradford 12, the Birmingham Six, the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, Angela Cannings, Jill Dando, Ruth Ellis, Dodi Fayed, the 'Fertilizer' conspiracy, Iraqi hi-jackers, Stephen Lawrence, Fatmir Limaj (Leader of the Kosovan Liberation Army), the Marchioness Disaster, the Price sisters, the 'Ricin' trial, Risley prison riots, Tahira Tabassum, Judith Ward, Arthur Scargill and the miners to the Jean Charles de Menezes inquiry, and many more. Issues of public concern, human rights and innovative attempts to construct a democratic legal system are discussed in full, but Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer also unveils with honesty and wit a man who has put as much passion and energy into his life as his work, one of the great personalities of our time. show less

A lawyer who has successfully defended some of the most controversial people in recent history writes about his cases. It is a wonderful retrospect on controvosies of my lifetime. I don't agree with all that he said and it did seem to me he managed to get some people off who I was not convinced were innocent. And what's wrong with the jury being able to draw their own conclusions about why the accused maintains the right of silence, as long as they way it up with other evidence. But there is show more something admirable about anyone who fights so successfully for what they believe in. The first two-thirds of the book was fascinating - a whistle stop tour of legal issues. In the last third he got on a political polemic and was self righteous and boring. His analysis of Diana's death was c0nspiracy theory and considerably undermines his credibility as he provides no evidence and ignores evidence that contradicts his theory. show less

Michael Mansfield QC argues to ME the feasibility of his arguments like I am a Judge, and he convinces me. A wonderful man and a Lawyer that is utterly worthy of the adulation he recieves, I totally support him. A Brilliant Lawyer and a wonderful Advocate in the very many difficult complex Cases he brings. Whatever you do read the book, especially if discouraged Leftie, we need people like Mansfield on our case and he is ace.