• Written by the names shaping today's criminal law - Lord Justice Hooper and David Ormerod lead a team of contributors with unparalleled expertise in the courtroom
• Provides comprehensive coverage of Crown Court and magistrates' court practice - the only volume you need in either court
• Logical intuitive structure accompanies you from A to B through every stage of a trial - all you need to ensure your case goes smoothly
• Acclaimed, unrivalled coverage of sentencing - reliable, trustworthy treatment ensuring you never get caught out in court
• Clear, practical guidance on procedure - your constant companion through any trial
• Common-sense navigation - instant access to all the information you need
• Unparalleled breadth of appendices, including the full updated text of the Criminal Procedure Rules, and the Sentencing Guidelines - the information you need at your fingertips
• Ensures you fully understand all the latest developments through regular bulletins, web updates, and email alerts - keeps you up-to-date on this dynamic area

New to this edition

• Fully rewritten and restructured sections on Civil Behaviour Orders and Terrorism
• Coverage of the Coroners and Justice Bill and the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008
• Coverage of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2008 (SI 2008 No. 2504), implementing a major reform
• Coverage of the new Sentencing Guidelines on Theft, Burglary, and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders
• Coverage of changes to the Magistrates' Court Sentencing Guidelines, the Criminal Procedure Rules , and the PACE Codes
• New simultaneous supplement provides easy access to essential materials, containing the updated full text of the Criminal Procedure Rules and the Sentencing Guidelines Council Sentencing Guidelines
• New contributor, Duncan Penny (Barrister, 6 King's Bench Walk), writing on human rights

Readership: Criminal law practitioners: solicitors and barristers (undertaking work in both the magistrates' and Crown Court); the judiciary; the Crown Prosecution Service; students on vocational law courses (Bar Vocational Course and Legal Practice Course); academics and reference libraries in the UK and worldwide; the police.

Professor David Ormerod, Professor of Criminal Justice, School of Law, Queen Mary University of London; Barrister, 18 Red Lion Court, and The Right Honourable Lord Justice Hooper

Review(s) from previous edition

"I direct counsel to Blackstone's Criminal Practice first - Archbold cannot rival it in terms of detailed coverage and commentary. - HHJ Roberts, Central Criminal Court

"Blackstone's is a worthy rival to Archbold. Its treatment of evidence and procedure, as well as its exemplary discussion of recent appellate court authorities make it my first port of call on any problem. " - HHJ Pardoe QC, Snaresbrook Crown Court

"I am using Blackstone's more and more...a very valuable addition to the criminal practitioner's library. " - HHJ Atherton, Manchester Crown Court

"We would be lost without it. " - HHJ Globe QC, Liverpool Crown Court

"Invaluable for all who practice in the field. " - The Right Honourable Lord Justice Leveson

"A most valuable reference guide. I would not be without it. " - HHJ Radford, Snaresbrook Crown Court

"If you had both [Archbold and Blackstone's], it would probably not be long before the one you chose to lug to court would be Blackstone's - Its ease of use gives it the edge" - Adrian Waterman QC, KBW Chambers

"It is the ease of use of Blackstone's which sets it apart. The editor and contributors have ... gone the extra mile to hone the contents to make it sensible and accessible, without losing any of its comprehensiveness or authoritativeness" - Adrian Waterman QC, KBW Chambers

"The only book to contain all the material you need in such an easily portable volume...There can be no better person to produce this work" - District Judge Howard Riddle

"An excellent book ... it covers virtually every area of law and procedure you may encounter in the magistrates' court. Even better - it is handbag sized!" - Natasha McDermott, Managing Partner, Carters Solicitors

"I shall want rarely to be without it. As a Resident Judge I am regularly dealing with the interface between the Crown Court and the Magistrates Court. I often find myself groping for information about the regular practice and procedure in the Magistrates Court. It has until now been difficult to find help consistently in any one place . . . Thank you for this gem of a book" - HHJ Peter Collier

MAIN VOLUME
PART A: CRIMINAL LAW
A1: Actus reus: the external elements of an offence
A2: Mens Rea
A3: General defences
A4: Strict liability and vicarious liability
A5: Parties to offences
A6: Inchoate offences
A7: Human rights
A8: Territorial and extra-territorial jurisdiction
PART B: OFFENCES
B1: Homicide and related offences
B2: Non-fatal offences against the person
B3: Sexual offences
B4: Theft, handling stolen goods and related offences
B5: Fraud, blackmail and deception
B6: Falsification, forgery and counterfeiting
B7: Company, investment and insolvency offences
B8: Damage to property
B9: Offences affecting security
B10: Terrorism, piracy and hijacking
B11: Offences affecting public order
B12: Offences relating to weapons
B13: Offences affecting enjoyment of premises
B14: Offences against the administration of justice
B15: Corruption
B16: Revenue, customs and social security offences
B17: Offences involving misuse of computers
B18: Offences involving writing, speech or publication
B19: Offences related to drugs
B20: Offences relating to dangerous dogs, hunting and animal welfare
B21: Offences relating to the proceeds of criminal conduct
B22: Immigration offences
PART C: ROAD TRAFFIC OFFENCES
C1: Definitions and basic principles in road traffic cases
C2: Evidence and procedure in road traffic cases
C3: Offences relating to driving triable on indictment
C4: Offences relating to documents triable on indictment
C5: Drink-driving offences
C6: Summary traffic offences
C7: Sentencing generally
C8: Endorsement, penalty points and disqualification
C9: The schedules to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988
PART D: PROCEDURE
D1: Powers of investigation
D2: The decision to prosecute and diversion
D3: Courts, judges and parties
D4: Criminal procedure rules and case management
D5: Preliminary procedures in magistrates' courts
D6: Classification of offences and determining mode of trial
D7: Bail
D8: Assets recovery
D9: Disclosure
D10: Sending cases from the magistrates' court to the Crown Court
D11: The indictment
D12: Arraignment and pleas
D13: Juries
D14: Trial on indictment: general matters and pre-trial procedure
D15: Trial on indictment: the prosecution case
D16: Trial on indictment: the defence case
D17: Trial on indictment: procedure between close of defence evidence and retirement of jury
D18: Trial on indictment: procedure relating to retirement of jury and verdict
D19: Trial on indictment: sentencing procedure
D20: Summary trial: general and preliminary matters
D21: Summary trial: the course of the trial
D22: Sentencing in the magistrates' court
D23: Trial of juveniles
D24: Civil behaviour orders: ASBOs, Closure Orders, CPOs, and VOOs
D25: Appeal to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) following trial on indictment
D26: Procedure on appeal to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
D27: Reference to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) following trial on indictment
D28: Challenging decisions of magistrates' courts and of the Crown Court in its appellate capacity
D29: Appeals to the House of Lords and the role of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights
D30: Public funding and costs
D31: Extradition
PART E: SENTENCING
E1: Sentencing: general provisions
E2: Custodial sentences: general provisions
E3: Mandatory life sentences
E4: Custodial sentences for dangerous offenders under the Criminal Justice Act 2003
E5: Prescribed custodial sentences
E6: Suspended sentences under the Criminal Justice Act 2003
E7: Custodial sentences: detention and custody of offenders under 21
E8: Community Order under the Criminal Justice Act 2003
E9: Community sentences: offenders aged under 18
E10: Referral order
E11: Reparation orders
E12: Absolute and conditional discharges
E13: Binding over
E14: Orders against parents
E15: Fines
E16: Compensation orders
E17: Restitution orders
E18: Deprivation orders
E19: Confiscation orders
E20: Recommendation for deportation
E21: Exclusions and disqualifications
E22: Mentally disordered offenders
E23: Notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003
E24: Rehabilitation of offenders
PART F: EVIDENCE
F1: General principles of evidence in criminal cases
F2: The discretion to exclude evidence; evidence unlawfully, improperly or unfairly obtained
F3: Burden and standard of proof and presumptions
F4: Competence and compellability of witnesses and oaths and affirmations
F5: Corroboration
F6: Examination-in-chief
F7: Cross-examination and re-examination
F8: Documentary evidence and real evidence
F9: Public policy and privilege
F10: Opinion evidence
F11: Admissibility of previous verdicts
F12: Character evidence: evidence of bad character of accused
F13: Character evidence: admissibility of evidence of accused's good character
F14: Character evidence: evidence of bad character of persons other than the accused
F15: The rule against hearsay: general principles
F16: Exceptions to the rule against hearsay (excluding confessions)
F17: The rule against hearsay: confessions
F18: Evidence of identification
F19: Inferences from silence and the non-production of evidence
APPENDICES:
Appendix 1: Codes of practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
Appendix 2: Attorney-General's guidelines
Appendix 3: The code for Crown Prosecutors
Appendix 4: Disclosure
Appendix 5: The consolidated criminal practice direction
(SIMULTANEOUS) SUPPLEMENT 1
The Criminal Procedure Rules 2005
The Sentencing Guidelines Council Sentencing Guidelines