Candid, witty autobiography provides an inside view of the relationships between civil servants and government in Northern Ireland. Since 1955, Maurice Hayes has had a diverse and distinguished career in public service in Northern Ireland, winning a reputation for cutting red tape at every available opportunity. Drawing aside the veil on the machinery of government and state, his remarkable memoir tells the story of Hayes' relentless diplomacy, negotiation, and mediation during many of the darkest days of the Troubles. Pithy and revealing, Minority Verdict demystifies the "political process, policies and people" that have made headlines.