Anonymous blogging heavyweight tells Legal Cheek they won’t be quitting the bar anytime soon
Following the overwhelming success of their debut book, Stories of the Law and How it’s Broken, The Secret Barrister (SB) has confirmed a second publishing deal.
The bigtime bar blogger, whose true identity so far remains a mystery, will return in an as yet untitled new book “to reveal the stupidity, malice and incompetence behind many of the biggest legal stories of recent years”, according to publishing outfit Picador.
Having tackled the plight of the criminal justice system, SB’s second instalment will delve behind headline-grabbing favourites, asking questions such as: “Did the courts really order the death of an innocent baby? Was there an illegal immigrant who couldn’t be deported because he had a pet cat? Are unelected judges truly enemies of the people?” It is due for release in spring 2020.
Commenting on the announcement, SB said:
“I’m thrilled and frankly staggered at hitting 100,000 copies through all formats, and am hugely grateful to all those who have bought the book and supported its message. I’m relishing the prospect of a further opportunity to shine a little light on our justice system and give a few well-earned jabs to those who would do it harm.”
SB’s first book, which Legal Cheek reviewed earlier this year, was a Sunday Times top-ten bestseller for 24 consecutive weeks, and the subject of a high-profile crowdfunding campaign which saw a copy given to every MP.
With a second book now on the way, will SB ditch the day job and take to the typewriter full-time? They tell Legal Cheek:
“I have no designs on becoming a full-time author. I love my day job, for all its frustrations, so as long as the criminal bar will have me, I’ll be hawking my questionable talents from courtroom to courtroom.”
News of the book deal comes just weeks after a survey conducted in association with the Bar Council created a mini-social media storm after it asked lawyers whether SB should be “unmasked”. The short survey asked whether it was fair for SB to operate from behind a “cloak of anonymity” given his (or her) “harsh criticisms of the criminal justice system”.