On July 7, 1985, in London, Boris Becker won Wimbledon at the age of seventeen. On April 29, 2022, at Southwark Crown Court, London, Becker was sent to prison for thirty months. As a law professor, I am used to reading cases, but R v Becker is more poignant than most cases I have read, for it’s not just a case but a fall from grace, and I cannot but engage with this case as a fan. I grew up watching Becker vault across courts like a man possessed, and to then read about his criminal conviction was a jolt to the senses. I have done jury duty previously at the Southwark Crown Court, where Becker was convicted and sentenced, which gives me a more vivid idea of what he might have gone through. The Southwark Crown Court is unremarkable in its appearance, but behind its walls, it hides many a tale of misfeasance and criminality. Unlike in India, where jury trials are no longer held, the United Kingdom continues with its system of judging a person by his peers. Boris’ peers decided he was guilty.
R v Becker was a criminal conviction for a wrong in a domain the public usually does not associate with crime and prisons: insolvency law. Once a person is declared bankrupt, he can be sentenced to jail time for a variety of offences: for concealing his assets, for not disclosing all his assets, and for transferring his assets to others without permission. Becker was convicted of all of the above transgressions. He had a history with the law. In 2002, he was convicted of tax evasion in Germany but escaped jail time.
Once he was convicted, there was a separate proceeding for sentencing. Judge Deborah Taylor gave an eight-page order that, in a crisp, understated but firm tone, laid out the criteria for sentencing, which depended on the severity of the criminal’s culpability and the extent of harm the criminal had caused. The judge was quite severe on Becker, stating that “whilst I accept the humiliation you have felt as a result of these proceedings, there has been no humility”. Becker did not exhibit any humility because, as he explains in his latest memoir, Inside, he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong by using the assets from his bankruptcy estate for the benefit of his ex-wives and his children. This, precisely, is the reason why people should be wary of insolvency law. Once it kicks in, ignorance is no longer bliss.
R v Becker is also interesting because while one usually reads a case from the outside, and in a somewhat detached fashion, here, we have a perspective from the inside, in Becker’s own account of his life in prison. Becker’s memoir, published last year, makes the aftermath of his criminal case come alive to his readers. As he puts it, “Wandsworth prison is just over two miles from Centre Court at Wimbledon, depending which way you go. SW19 to SW18 – a single number in it, but an impossible distance in between.” He went from a posh life in Switzerland and London to a life scrubbing toilets and cleaning floors in a prison gym. It wasn’t for too long, but prison can be a great leveller; Becker’s memoir shows the human side of incarceration. He was a celebrity outside, but inside, he was subject to the same indignities others were subject to.
R v Becker is about insolvency law, loss of wealth, and reputation, but it is also about the rule of law. A celebrity, an all-time great of tennis, a man with connections and fame, although not much wealth, was convicted of a wrong within a short period of time and sent to prison. In India, we rarely get to see such outcomes. When I used to live in the UK, I was struck by the fuss the press made when they found out that the UK Parliamentarians had abused their allowances and expense limits. I was impressed that a former cabinet minister went to jail for lying about a speeding ticket. That the law can apply with equal rigour to people of privilege might be a hallmark of a healthy legal system, although every incarceration is not just a comeuppance but also an avoidable tragedy.
Becker’s story is also a story about redemption. He went through the ordeal of prison and came back strong with a book that details his experience. R v Becker might be the shortest citation there is to a tragic life, but it’s also the beginning of a comeback, perhaps the most memorable one we have seen from Becker so far.
The writer is a law professor who thinks that the law is too important to be left to the lawyers.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.