A TIMES LAW TOP LEGAL READ 2025 'A timely red alert that democratic values cannot be taken for granted' The Times'Incisive and eloquent' The Telegraph Across the globe, democracy is in crisis - in the UK alone, it has been rocked by Brexit, the pandemic and successive attempts by governments to bypass legal norms. But how did this happen, and where might we go from here? Jonathan Sumption cuts through the political noise with acute analysis of the state of democracy today - from the vulnerabilities of international law to the deepening suppression of democracy activism in Hong Kong, and from the complexities of human rights legislation to the defence of freedom of speech. Timely, incisive and wholly original, Challenges of Democracy applies the brilliance of 'the cleverest man in Britain' to the most urgent and far-reaching political issue of our day. Read more

How identity politics failed one particular identity.‘A must read and if you think YOU don’t need to read it, that’s just the clue to know you do’ SARAH SILVERMAN‘A masterpiece' STEPHEN FRYJews Don’t Count is a book for people who consider themselves on the right side of history. People fighting the good fight against homophobia, disablism, transphobia and, particularly, racism. People, possibly, like you.It is the comedian and writer David Baddiel’s contention that one type of racism has been left out of this fight. In his unique combination of close reasoning, polemic, personal experience and jokes, Baddiel argues that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of anti-Semitism. He outlines why and how, in a time of intensely heightened awareness of minorities, Jews don’t count as a real minority: and why they should. Read more

WINNER OF THE 2015 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTIONWINNER OF THE 2015 DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZEWINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTIONNow a major motion-picture starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson.#1 New York Times bestseller, and a widely acclaimed and multi-award–winning book, this is a powerful, true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix America’s broken system of justice, as seen in the HBO documentary True Justice.Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinkmanship — and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.It is now the subject of a major motion picture, starring Michael B Jordan and Jamie Foxx.PRAISE FOR BRYAN STEVENSON‘Unfairness in the justice system is a major theme of our age … This book brings new life to the story by placing it in two affecting contexts: Stevenson's life work and the deep strain of racial injustice in American life … You don't have to read too long to start cheering for this man. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court … The book extols not his nobility, but that of the cause, and reads like a call to action for all that remains to be done … The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man's refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful … Bryan Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.’ The New York Times‘Inspiring … A work of style, substance and clarity … Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he's also a gifted writer and storyteller.’ The Washington Post Read more

Churchill once said that "democracy is the worst form of government except for all others..." and in Popular Government, Henry Sumner Maine answers him 60 years in advance with "...unless you examine any part of history at all."In this book, one of the greatest legal minds of the 19th century applies to the question of governance the historical method that made him famous in his Ancient Law. No faction-anarchist, legitimist, nationalist, Jacobite-escapes his penetrating gaze, nor does any democratic vice. But Maine is no partisan, and in the fourth and final essay, he gives a fair and thorough critique of the jewel in the democratic crown-the US constitution.In an age where democracy has never been more fragile, Maine's clear-eyed analysis has never been more relevant. Read more

From the author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted novel Stone Yard Devotional'Savage: think Atwood in the outback'PAULA HAWKINS'An unforgettable reading experience'LIANE MORIARTY'Ferocious . . . recalls the early Elena Ferrante'NPR'A masterpiece'GUARDIAN'Devastating' ECONOMISTShe hears her own thick voice deep inside her ears when she says, 'I need to know where I am.'The man stands there, tall and narrow, hand still on the doorknob, surprised.He says, almost in sympathy, 'Oh, sweetie. You need to know what you are.'"Two women awaken from a drugged sleep to find themselves imprisoned in a broken-down property in the middle of a desert.Strangers to each other, they have no idea where they are or how they came to be there with eight other girls, their heads shaved, guarded by two inept yet vicious jailers.Doing hard labour under a sweltering sun, the prisoners soon learn what links them: in each girl's past is a sexual scandal with a powerful man.They pray for rescue but as the hours turn into days and the days into weeks and months, it becomes clear only the girls can rescue themselves.Praise for Charlotte Wood's Stone Yard DevotionalShortlisted for the Booker Prize 2024 'A beautiful, mature work that does not flinch from life'SUNDAY TIMES'A transfixing novel'FINANCIAL TIMES'A book about what it means to be good: simply and with great humility, it asks the big questions, leaving the reader feeling kinder, more brave, enlarged'ANNE ENRIGHT'I have rarely been so absorbed by a novel . . . A powerful, generous book'GUARDIAN Read more

The two-year revolution that totally changed how Britain is governed.Internationally bestselling historian Antonia Fraser's new book brilliantly evokes one year of pre-Victorian political and social history - the passing of the Great Reform Bill of 1832, an eventful and violent year that featured riots in Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham.The time-span of the book is from Wellington's intractable declaration in November 1830 that 'The beginning of reform is beginning of revolution' to 7 June 1832, when William IV reluctantly assented to the Great Reform Bill, under the double threat of the creation of 60 new peers in the House of Lords and the threat of revolution throughout the country. Wider themes of Irish and 'negro emancipation' underscore the narrative.The book is character driven; we learn of the Whig aristocrats prepared to whittle away their own power to bring liberty to the country, the all-too-conservative opposition who included the intransigent Duchess of Kent and Queen Adelaide and finally the 'revolutionaries' like William Cobbett, author of Rural Rides.These events led to a total change in the way Britain was governed, a two-year revolution that Antonia Fraser brings to vivid dramatic life. Read more

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a genuine story of a woman's struggle for self-identity, self-preservation, and liberation. It is one of the few remaining slave narratives written by a woman. Harriet Jacobs (1813–1897)'s incredible adventure from enslavement and humiliation in North Carolina to freedom and reunion with her children in the North is chronicled in this autobiographical account.The memoir, written and published in 1861 after Jacobs' tragic escape from a nasty and predatory master, is a striking and unabashed picture of the master-slave relationship's abuses and hypocrisy. Read more

FULLY REVISED AND EDITED PAPERBACK EDITION  Shortlisted for Penderyn Music Prize  Detroit 67  is the story of Motor City in the year that changed everything. Twelve chapters take you on a turbulent year-long journey through the drama and chaos that ripped through the city in 1967 and tore it apart in personal, political and interracial disputes. It is the story of Motown, the break-up of The Supremes and the damaging disputes at the heart of the most successful African-American music label ever.Set against a backdrop of urban riots, escalating war in Vietnam and police corruption, the book weaves its way through a year when soul music came of age and the underground counterculture flourished. LSD arrived in the city with hallucinogenic power and local guitar band MC5 - selfstyled holy barbarians of rock - went to war with mainstream America. A summer of street-level rebellion turned Detroit into one of the most notorious cities on earth, known for its unique creativity, its unpredictability and self-lacerating crime rates.The year 1967 ended in social meltdown, rancour and intense legal warfare as the complex threads that held Detroit together finally unravelled. Features the story of DETROIT, a major motion picture.  Read more

Discover the United Kingdom Constitution with this collection of iconic and historic documents.You'll have a piece of history in your hands as you explore the Magna Carta, the Habeus Corpus Act, and the Representation of the People Act, among other essential documents. With concise introductions to each piece, you'll be able to read the original text exactly as it was intended, without the opinions of others getting in your way.These documents written over the past thousand years offer a unique insight into the UK's complex constitutional tradition. Don't miss this opportunity to discover the sovereign constitutional heritage of the United Kingdom. Empowering the people's voice, these timeless values have been enshrined in this nation's uncodified constitution for centuries.Whether you're a student, historian, or political enthusiast, this book offers a wealth of information to expand your political knowledge with the key documents that have shaped the British political landscape. Read more

The Federalist Papers were composed of essays written by three of the Constitution's framers and ratifiers: Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury; John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States; and James Madison, father of the Constitution, author of the Bill of Rights, and fourth President of the United States. The series was published anonymously under the pen name "Publius," in New York newspapers during the years 1787 and 1788 to persuade undecided New York state voters to ratify the new Constitution of the United States.Considered a keystone of American democracy, some of the more famous articles dealt with:Dangers from foreign arms and influence; dangers from dissensions between the states.The Union as a safeguard against domestic faction and insurrection.The need for a federal government able to raise revenues through taxation.The power of Congress to regulate the election of members; the creation of an electoral college. The power of the Senate to sit as a court for Impeachments; the objectives and powers of the judiciary.An enduring classic of political philosophy and a milestone in political science, Thomas Jefferson hailed The Federalist Papers as the best commentary ever written about the principles of government. Read more

A FINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZEA FINALIST FOR THE MOORE PRIZEA NEW STATESMAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR'A gripping and rigorous crime story about the murder of a once thriving democracy, exposing an arsenal of lethal weapons, some wielded on the streets, others in the courts and press' NAOMI KLEIN‘Essential reading' YANIS VAROUFAKISThe world’s largest democracy is facing the greatest challenge since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.The Incarcerations pulls back the curtain on Indian democracy to tell the remarkable and chilling story of the Bhima Koregaon case, in which 16 human rights defenders (the BK-16) – professors, lawyers, journalists, poets – have been imprisoned, without credible evidence and without trial, as Maoist terrorists.Alpa Shah unravels how these alleged terrorists were charged with inciting violence at a public commemoration in 2018, accused of waging a war against the Indian state, and plotting to kill the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Expertly leading us through the case, Shah exposes some of the world’s most shocking revelations of cyber warfare research, which show not only hacking of emails and mobile phones of the BK-16, but also implantation of the electronic evidence that was used to incarcerate them. Through the life histories of the BK-16, Shah dives deep into the issues they fought for and tells the story of India’s three main minorities – Adivasi, Dalits and Muslims – and what the search for democracy entails for them.Essential and urgent, The Incarcerations reveals how this case is a bellwether for the collapse of democracy in India, as for the first time in the nation’s history there is a multi-pronged, coordinated attack on key defenders of various pillars of democracy. In so doing, Shah shows that democracy today must be not only about protecting freedom of expression and democratic institutions, but also about supporting and safeguarding the social movements that question our global inequalities.‘A chilling, meticulously documented account of the arrest and ongoing trial of some of India’s most exceptional citizens. The Incarcerations shows us that the BK-16 pose a danger to the current Hindu Nationalist regime not for what they have done, but for daring to have a different dream about what kind of country India should be. Alpa Shah’s book is about the criminalisation and incarceration of dissent itself. It does us a great service’ Arundhati Roy Read more

On its initial publication in 1998, John R. Lott's More Guns, Less Crime drew both lavish praise and heated criticism. More than a decade later, it continues to play a key role in ongoing arguments over gun-control laws: Despite all the attacks by gun-control advocates, no one has ever been able to refute Lott's simple, startling conclusion that more guns mean less crime. Relying on the most rigorously comprehensive data analysis ever conducted on crime statistics and right-to-carry laws, the book directly challenges common perceptions about the relationship of guns, crime, and violence. For this third edition, Lott draws on an additional 10 years of data - including provocative analysis of the effects of gun bans in Chicago and Washington, DC - that brings the book fully up to date and further bolsters its central contention. Read more

"Police Misconduct: legal remediesis a comprehensive yet highly practical guide for practitioners and advisers covering the two major routes to remedying police misconduct: police complaints and civil actions in the courts. The new (2020) police complaints and disciplinary procedures are dealt with in depth in three new chapters. The equips the reader with the essentials for advising on the full range of procedures, strategies and tactics available and provides thorough procedural advice and step-by-step guidance from pre-issue considerations through to jury trial and appeal.There is detailed guidance on the most common torts – false imprisonment, assault and battery, malicious prosecution and misfeasance and clear analysis of developing causes of actions against the police such as negligence, privacy, discrimination and claims under the Human Rights Act 1998.Contents include: the constitution and organisation of the police; police complaints: overview, structure, initial stages, investigation and outcomes; police disciplinary system; false imprisonment and deprivation of liberty; personal injury, trespass to the person, and failure to protect from harm; malicious prosecution and misuse of power; land and property; protest and freedom of speech; information; discrimination and vulnerable groups; prosecutorial decisions; bringing a claim against the police; issue of proceedings to exchange of witness statements; the trial and appeals; damages Read more

_____________THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERLONGLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION_____________'John le Carré demystified the intelligence services; Higgins has demystified intelligence gathering itself' - Financial Times'Uplifting . . . Riveting . . . What will fire people through these pages, gripped, is the focused, and extraordinary investigations that Bellingcat runs . . . Each runs as if the concluding chapter of a Holmesian whodunit' - Telegraph'We Are Bellingcat is Higgins's gripping account of how he reinvented reporting for the internet age . . . A manifesto for optimism in a dark age' - Luke Harding, Observer_____________How did a collective of self-taught internet sleuths end up solving some of the biggest crimes of our time?Bellingcat, the home-grown investigative unit, is redefining the way we think about news, politics and the digital future. Here, their founder – a high-school dropout on a kitchen laptop – tells the story of how they created a whole new category of information-gathering, galvanising citizen journalists across the globe to expose war crimes and pick apart disinformation, using just their computers.From the downing of Malaysia Flight 17 over the Ukraine to the sourcing of weapons in the Syrian Civil War and the identification of the Salisbury poisoners, We Are Bellingcat digs deep into some of Bellingcat's most successful investigations. It explores the most cutting-edge tools for analysing data, from virtual-reality software that can build photorealistic 3D models of a crime scene, to apps that can identify exactly what time of day a photograph was taken.In our age of uncertain truths, Bellingcat is what the world needs right now – an intelligence agency by the people, for the people. Read more

This book is intended to help de-mystify employment law and explain to you what the process is in making an Employment Tribunal claim. I assume that you are a lay person and have no actual knowledge of Employment Law, or Tribunal Procedures. We will explain a briefly what types of claims you can make at the Employment Tribunal. The Limitation issues you must comply with and the preliminary steps you have to take before you are permitted to lodge a claim at the Employment Tribunal. We will explain and define key words in straight forward language as we go a long at the end of each chapter. This will help you get used to the legal language which is used frequently in Employment Tribunals. If you are unfamiliar with what certain words mean and their use or context this can put you at a significant disadvantage if your opponent is legally represented. The plan is to take you through the process and procedures as they normally occur in the correct order. The book will help anyone planning to represent themselves or a Claimant, or anyone seeking to improve their practical knowledge and tactical awareness in this area of litigation such as law students, trainee solicitors, trainee employment lawyers and employment law consultants to get a basic understanding of the Employment Tribunal process. It main purpose however is to help anyone who wishes to make a Tribunal claim without legal representation. It will enable you to be aware of what tactics your opponent is adopting, or maybe adopting and how to put your case clearly. If you refer to a particular Act of Parliament and a section or we refer to a case we do so only as absolutely necessary. It is not intended to be an academic book it will use everyday language wherever possible. If legal phrases or words have to be used then they will be explained and included in the glossary at the end of each chapter. Read more

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the Civil War to our combustible present, White Rage reframes the continuing conversation about race in America, chronicling the history of the powerful forces opposed to black progress.Since the abolishment of slavery in 1865, every time African Americans have made advances towards full democratic participation, white reaction has fuelled a rollback of any gains. Carefully linking historical flashpoints – from the post-Civil War Black Codes and Jim Crow to expressions of white rage after the election of America's first black president – Carol Anderson renders visible the long lineage of white rage and the different names under which it hides. Compelling and dramatic in the history it relates, White Rage adds a vital new dimension to the conversation about race in America.'Beautifully written and exhaustively researched' CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE'An extraordinarily timely and urgent call to confront the legacy of structural racism' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'Brilliant' ROBIN DIANGELO, AUTHOR OF WHITE FRAGILITY Read more

From experienced campaigner Vanessa Holburn and with a foreword by award-winning animal welfare campaigner Lorraine Platt, this is the essential guide to activism. 'Essential reading for anyone looking to start a grassroots campaign - and useful bedtime reading for some of our political parties too' - Hannah Beckerman, GuardianHow To Be an Activist covers everything you need to know to create a successful social campaign and bring about positive change no matter what your cause. This practical, inspirational book covers topics ranging from identifying your central issue and setting meaningful milestones and goals, to learning how to use the media effectively and stay safe and within the law. It will help you with every step of your campaign, keeping you motivated through periods of self-doubt and staving off burnout as you celebrate milestones on the way to creating meaningful change in the world. With contributions from influential campaigners including Natasha Devon MBE.Fresh from waving banners in the pouring rain, journalist and campaigner Vanessa Holburn passes on the lessons she has learned so the reader can fast track their movement to success. This is the age of activism and everyone is invited to join the movement. Read more

What exactly is critical race theory? This concise and accessible exploration demystifies a crucial framework for understanding and fighting racial injustice in the United States.“A clear-eyed, expert field guide.”—Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom, author of Thick  From renowned scholar Dr. Victor Ray, On Critical Race Theory explains the centrality of race in American history and politics, and how the often mischaracterized intellectual movement became a political necessity.Ray draws upon the radical thinking of giants such as Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to clearly trace the foundations of critical race theory in the Black intellectual traditions of emancipation and the civil rights movement. From these foundations, Ray explores the many facets of our society that critical race theory interrogates, from deeply embedded structural racism to the historical connection between whiteness and property, ownership, and more. In succinct, thoughtful essays, Ray presents, analyzes, and breaks down the scholarship and concepts that constitute this often misconstrued term. He explores how the conversation on critical race theory has expanded into the contemporary popular conscience, showing why critical race theory matters and why we should all care. Read more

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One of TIME and Oprah Daily's Most Anticipated Books of 2025. Natalie Portman's Book Club Pick for March. 'Amanda's story underscores the lasting power of speaking your truth, building a movement, and never losing sight of your dreams' Melinda French GatesA brave and imaginative memoir by the Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, detailing her healing journey and ground-breaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard.At a Harvard fraternity party in 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen's life was changed forever when she was raped.The American-born child of Vietnamese refugees, Nguyen had long dreamed of attending Harvard, and it had become a place of refuge from a childhood filled with turmoil and trauma. Determined to not let her rape derail the life she'd worked so hard to create, she opted for her rape kit to be filed under Jane Doe, knowing that an active court case tied to her name could hurt her odds of working for NASA after graduation, a goal she'd been working toward for years.But she was shocked to learn this choice meant she had only six months to take action before the state of Massachusetts destroyed her kit, rendering any future legal action impossible. Nguyen knew then that she had two options: surrender to a law that effectively silenced survivors of sexual assault, or fight for a change.A deeply affecting memoir of grief, survival, and hope, Saving Five details Nguyen's winding journey of recovery and action, which ultimately led her to create the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights, one of the only unanimously passed laws in the history of the United States. Both a tribute to resilience and a lesson on healing, Saving Five is an inspirational story for the ages. Read more

Understand the brutal reality of farm murders in South Africa.Grasp the true extent of the problem, and the complicity of the South African government in the crisis.Equip yourself with the facts.“Kill The Boer is vital for anyone who wishes to understand the farm attack/murder phenomenon within the greater context of the South African milieu.”- Roman Cabanac, PoliticswebKill the Boer highlights why these attacks are different – in their disproportionate frequency, the extreme brutality, the crucial role that farmers have to play in uplifting South Africa, and the unique circumstances they find themselves in.To what extent is the South African government complicit in these attacks?Learn about the history of land ownership and the extent of hate speech and racism in South Africa, particularly targeting white farmers. If you enjoy books about crime, history, and politics then you will find this book fascinating, because it illuminates for the first time the true extent of a crisis from which the world should learn.Data drivenPersonal victim accountsStatistical analysis of the crisisCrucial reportsHear the shocking stories from the inside“A most brave and important book, thoroughly researched, and one that will save lives and livelihoods.”- Dr. Frans Cronje, CEO of the Institute of Race Relations (IRR)Buy now! To order the paperback, please send an mail to [email protected] Read more