The Practice of Judging

What is it like to be a judge? Is judging an art, or is there a method to it? Can anyone, whatever their background, be taught to do it well? These are the central questions of this highly accessible book.

Sir Peter Coulson, who has sat at almost every level from Recorder to the Court of Appeal, argues that what he calls ‘judgecraft’ can be learned through experience, and that it can also be taught.

The Practice of Judging pulls back the curtain to show how the modern judge really thinks, with forthright guidance on the actual experience of judging: managing a courtroom, handling counsel, writing a judgment, passing sentence. It is also unflinching about what judging costs and what the system now lacks, from crumbling courts to the pressures on those who work in them. Coulson writes with candour, directness and self-deprecation, and his ‘ten rules for beginners’ – from ‘be yourself’ to ‘be kind’ – are deeply human.

The book is for anyone who wants to become a judge; for serving judges, because even the most experienced can learn from colleagues; for barristers who want to know how judges actually reach their decisions; and for all those interested in the judicial process, including law students, academics and the general public.

Sir Peter Coulson is a passionate evangelist for the life of the judge. It is, he writes, ‘quite simply, the best job in the world’

Sir Peter Coulson practised at the Bar for twenty-two years, specializing in construction and professional negligence, and took silk in 2001. He then sat for twenty five years as a Recorder, a Senior Circuit Judge sitting in the TCC, a High Court Judge and a Lord Justice of Appeal, retiring from the bench in October 2026. He is the author of Coulson on Construction Adjudication, as well as two further books as author or editor, and he has contributed to a fourth. He lives in London and Sheffield.

Reviews:

"This book, packed with practical wisdom and guidance delivered in the no-nonsense style Peter Coulson has made his own, is the ‘phone-a-friend’ companion that every new judge needs. His ‘ten rules for beginners’ are destined to be pinned on judicial noticeboards up and down the land.”

• His Honour Judge Nigel Bird, London Circuit Commercial Court

“Peter Coulson has drawn on the deep well of his experience to tease out lessons for others who would do the fascinating but challenging work of judging. As in his judicial work, he refuses to conform to the well-worn stereotypes. He lays out his thoughts with self-awareness, modesty, economy, clarity and wit. A fine raconteur, he resists the temptation to indulge himself, using anecdotes sparingly to illustrate his themes – including ‘Things not to do’. This is invaluable reading for any judge, not just those starting out in the role. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

• Sir Mark Warby, President of the King’s Bench Division