Justice on Trial

'Chris is a powerful force for good in the national debate on criminal justice.' – The Secret Barrister

'Extraordinary' – Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Almost everything we think about crime and punishment is wrong.
I am going to show you why.
And what we can do about it.

Chris Daw QC has been practising criminal law for over 25 years, navigating Britain's fractured justice system from within. He has looked into the eyes of murderers, acted for notorious criminals, and listened to the tangled tales woven by fraudsters, money launderers and drug barons. Yet his work takes place at the heart of a system at breaking point – one which is failing perpetrators, victims and society – and now he is convinced that something must change.

For most of us the criminal law only matters when we are victims of crime or are called for jury service. But what if everything we have been told about crime and punishment is wrong? What if the whole criminal justice system is a catastrophic waste of money, churning out lifelong criminals, dragging children into court from as young as ten, and fighting a war on drugs that can never be won?

Drawing on his own fascinating case histories and global reporting, including the 2019 London Bridge attacks, Alabama's prison system and one of Britain's most dramatic mass shootings, Daw presents a radical new set of solutions for crime and punishment. By turns shocking, moving and pragmatic, Justice on Trial offers rare inside access to a system in crisis and a roadmap to a future beyond the binary of 'good' and 'evil'.

About the Author

Chris Daw QC was born in Milton Keynes in 1970 and went to a state comprehensive school and 6th Form College in the 1980s. After a brief period in management consultancy after A Levels he read law at Manchester University and went on to the Inns of Court School of Law, before being Called to the Bar in 1993 by The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. Since then, save for a short but successful sabbatical in the world of business, Chris has practised criminal law, first as a busy junior, and then as Queen’s Counsel or “Silk”.

Chris has acted in some of the most serious and high profile criminal trials of recent years, including the fresh inquests and criminal trial arising out of the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster, the defence of former England football captain, John Terry, and countless cases of murder, serious fraud, money laundering, armed robbery and international drug trafficking.

Chris writes for various publications on criminal justice issues, including the Spectator and the Financial Times, and appears as an expert source on both BBC radio and television. He is an active commentator on criminal justice issues on social media, including Twitter where he tweets as @crimlawuk.