Review of ‘Sister in Law’ by Harriet Wistrich: Defending Women

In 2011, Harriet Wistrich received a call about Sally Challen, who had been convicted of murdering her husband, Richard. Sally had killed him with a hammer at their Surrey home and then drove to Beachy Head in Sussex, intending to jump off the cliff. She was fortunately talked down by suicide prevention negotiators. Challen’s family felt that her defense team had failed to emphasize Richard’s abusive behavior towards her. In court, Sally was portrayed merely as a jealous wife angered by her husband’s infidelities.

At first, Wistrich, a lawyer specializing in human rights cases, struggled to see how she could help Challen. Sally’s defense of diminished responsibility had already been rejected by a jury, and appealing against a criminal conviction without fresh evidence is a difficult task. But through conversations with Sally in prison, Wistrich could piece together a detailed picture of Richard’s abusive actions, which included gaslighting, sexual violence, isolating Sally from friends and family, and withholding money. At that time, parliament was debating legislation to recognize coercive control, a manipulative form of abuse involving intimidation, humiliation, and punishment. Wistrich realized this new framework could re-interpret the dynamics of Sally’s abusive relationship, making everything clear.

In “Sister in Law,” a series of essays detailing Wistrich’s most high-profile cases, she recounts the appeal based on coercive control that led to the quashing of Challen’s murder conviction. Prosecutors accepted a manslaughter plea, and Sally was released from prison after having served nine years. This landmark victory prompted the Criminal Cases Review Commission to examine over 3,000 murder cases to identify potentially unsafe convictions.

Although the book is not a memoir – revealing little about Wistrich’s upbringing or personal life – it highlights her courage and tenacity in her fight for justice. Initially not a lawyer but an activist and filmmaker, she and her partner, writer and campaigner Julie Bindel, were outraged by the misogyny within the criminal justice system in the early 1990s. Back then, rape within marriage had only just been criminalized, the police often avoided intervening in cases of domestic violence, and offenses like harassment, stalking, forced marriage, and honor-based violence were not recognized by law.

Wistrich not only illustrates the ways in which the law fails women but the gruelling nature of litigation

The case of Sara Thornton, who in 1991 appealed against a life sentence for killing her violent, alcoholic husband, inspired Wistrich’s career change. Sara had stabbed Malcolm Thornton during a violent altercation and immediately called for an ambulance. Days after Sara’s appeal was rejected, Joseph McGrail used the defense of provocation during his trial for the murder of his partner, Marion, whom he had kicked to death. He received a two-year suspended sentence, with the judge noting that his partner “would have tested the patience of a saint.”

Determined to make a difference, Wistrich began training as a lawyer, setting off a career that saw her representing victims of serial rapist John Worboys, the family of Jean Charles de Menezes who was fatally shot by police on the London underground in 2005, victims of undercover policemen who infiltrated activist groups and began relationships with female members, and female detainees at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre who had escaped torture in their home countries only to be met with further abuse in the UK.

Wistrich’s reflection on these cases not only underscores the law’s shortcomings for women but also demonstrates the painstaking process of litigation – slow, complex, and often forcing individuals to relive traumatic experiences. Yet, through these enraging and astonishing stories, Wistrich also highlights the best of humanity. These are the people who endure punishing legal battles not only for themselves but also to prevent others from suffering similar fates. Wistrich herself emerges as empathetic, determined, and savvy, always ready for the fight. Although her book may lack personal introspection, her remarkable legal career speaks volumes about her character.

• “Sister In Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men” by Harriet Wistrich is published by Torva (£22).

Source: The Guardian