Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories

Throughout a long career, [Jeremy Hutchinson’s] brilliant and stylish advocacy achieved success in cases that looked unwinnable

Jeremy was not just a good lawyer; he was fearless in standing up to judges. He was the most formidable advocate of the 1960s and ‘70s and he had a marvellous sense of mischief - Geoffrey Robertson

Hutchinson provides the memories and Grant puts pen to paper. The result is a multifaceted object: a celebration of a brilliant career, an explanation of the legal process and a social and cultural history of the second half of the 20th century … Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories is, above all, a romance - Daily Telegraph

A fine reminder of the great democratic values enshrined in our legal system … Grant has cleverly produced what amounts to a cultural history of Britain in the rapidly changing post-war years … a greatly entertaining read which celebrates a barrister who stood up and argued with clarity and passion for various freedoms that we now take for granted - Daily Express

A fascinating look at Britain’s post-war social, political and cultural history - Bookseller

[Jeremy Hutchinson] is my hero because of what he stands for today, as he continues to speak out against what he fears to be the loss of independent representation of those not merely down on their luck but down in the gutter. He is the living symbol of all that independent criminal advocacy means for justice and the rule of law - Guardian

Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories … makes a compelling read, and is a real contribution to the history of 20th-century English mentalities. It is also a first-rate lesson in simple humanity … The pungency, intelligence and humour of [Thomas] Grant and his subject make this the most enlivening of case-books … [Jeremy Hutchinson] is abundant in the qualities of empathy, consideration and humour. He manages to be both charming and shatteringly truthful - Guardian

A fascinating episodic cultural history of postwar Britiain, that chronicles the end of the age of deference and secrecy, and the advent of a more permissive society … an impassioned defence of the criminal Bar itself … Grant brings out the essence of each case, and Hutchinson’s role, with clarity and wit … a reminder of how many of the defining stories of modern times have been fought out through our courts, and changed by them - The Times

Thomas Grant QC is a practising barrister and author. He lives in Sussex and London.

Jeremy Hutchinson was born in London in 1915. He read PPE at Magdalen College, Oxford, before studying law. His breakthrough case came in 1960 when Penguin Books was prosecuted under the recently enacted Obscene Publications Act 1959 for publishing Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Jeremy’s skill as a cross-examiner soon became legendary; it is said that he provided a partial inspiration for John Mortimer’s Rumpole of the Bailey. He retired from the bar in 1984.