Talking to Myself

"An informative, provocative and deeply personal account of a distinguished life in law and politics." – Lord Pannick QC

"A brave trailblazer for human rights." – Sir Harold Evans, former editor of the Sunday Times

"In his eloquent memoir, Anthony Lester weaves the story of the expansion of human rights at home and abroad … This rich history by a great human rights lawyer is a reminder that 'hope dies last…', and that we cannot give up hope." – Margaret H. Marshall, former Chief Justice, Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts

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I have been a campaigner in many human rights causes, some successful, some less so, some failed. My mother once said, 'Anthony, we had such a fine system until you ruined it!' I hope she was wrong.

Over the course of his illustrious, pioneering and sometimes controversial career, Anthony Lester transformed Britain's approach to human rights. As a brave and creative lawyer, and as a peer in the House of Lords, he worked tirelessly to combat abuses of public power and to introduce new legal frameworks for human rights, equality and free speech.

In these honest and remarkable personal memoirs, which map the history of human rights in this country over the past half-century, Anthony Lester explores the social conditions and interior circumstances that shaped his life as a relentless and passionate campaigner for equality and justice.