New to this edition
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
"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: GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE 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 CPS 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
