Final Judgment

...an admirably researched, readable and fascinating addition to the growing literature on how judges go about their work. -- Michael Zander * New Law Journal, Volume 164, Issue number 7594 *
Unless you're a Supreme Court Justice or a retired Law Lord, this book offers you the best available insight into how our highest court operates. In fact, even if you are on the Supreme Court, you're likely to learn something from Final Judgment. What I've not told you is how unusually gripping Final Judgment is. Reading it over the Christmas holiday, I found it hard to put down – something I don't often feel when reading academic works. More than anything else, Final Judgment is a work of human intelligence about the inner workings of one of our most important institutions. I'll be rereading it soon, and revisiting it often. -- Carl Gardner * Head of Legal *
...a wise, perceptive, and at times funny work of scholarship... ...there is a huge amount of interest in this book for anyone interested in the judicial process. It is far from reverential, and the reader will come away with a much better idea of how judges at the top of the tree really make their decisions. -- David Hart QC * UK Human Rights Law Blog *
Mandatory reading for anyone professing interest in the common law. -- Richard Susskind * The Times *
...ground-breaking... -- Frances Gibb * The Times *
[An] entertaining and informative account of his discussions with Supreme Court judges -- David Pannick QC * The Times *
This fascinating and compelling account of the two courts before, during and after the transition, is a superb sequel to the author’s first detailed examination of the UK final court of appeal. -- Derek O’Carroll * Scottish Legal Action Group Bulletin *
[This] marvelous new book [is one] that anyone teaching or writing about the U.S. Supreme Court or equivalent courts around the world should read. -- Herbert M. Kritzer * Law and Politics Book Review, Volume 24, Number 3 *
The book is a true work of scholarship. With great clarity and with the assistance of empirical research, it takes the reader deep into the judicial decision making process and explores the factors which impact on that process. It provides the reader with a unique and captivating insight into the inner working of the highest court in the country and explains the consequences of the dialogues which the judges engage in and the impact these have upon the judicial thinking and will be welcome to academics and practitioners alike. -- Masood Ahmed * Civil Justice Quarterly, Volume 33(3) *
It is both a fascinating survey and real life 'behind the scenes' review of the work of the Law Lords ... and their role in the highest court in the land. The work is unique in providing intimate portraits revealing the character and idiosyncrasies of the individuals who determine and apply the law at the ultimate level, because Paterson understands something that the Victorians also knew: that to comprehend the reasons why judgments are reached, one has to look beyond the mere 'letter of the law'. There is so much in this book that a review like this can only highlight some of the immediate and obvious points of interest, likewise it is difficult to offer any critical comment. There is a wealth of contextual information, examples and details that others will easily find engrossing and of significant relevance. -- Kim Stevenson * Law, Crime and History, Volume 2, 2014 *
This is an excellent monograph. The themes are clear and relevant, the research is meticulous. It is fun to read in places; some of the stories about counsel and judges, even academics, make one smile. Of course, many of those characters express themselves wonderfully, which also makes for a good read. -- Dawn Oliver * Cambridge Law Journal, Volume 73(2) *
The book is a mine of information...Patterson has assembled detailed evidence about what happens behind closed doors...[A] marvellous read and an outstanding work of legal scholarship. -- Sir Ross Cranston * Journal of Law and Society, Volume 41(4) *
…the book makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of judicial decision-making, since it is based on information that was unavailable so far, and without Paterson’s research would have been lost to posterity. It is not an exaggeration to say that Final Judgment “provides a compelling and unrivalled view” into appellate judicial decision-making in the UK (i), and must be compulsory reading for everyone interested in how the UK Supreme Court works. -- Tamas Gyorfi * The Edinburgh Law Review *