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David Ormerod, The Right Honourable Lord Justice Hooper
OUP, October 2009, £221.74 978-0-19-557423-0
This work is now in its 20th edition since its re-incarnation by HHJ Peter Murphy, who has now stood down as Emeritus Editor. Criminal practitioners, and his publishers, owe him a great debt of gratitude. The teams of contributors and editors are immensely strong, providing as near a guarantee as is possible of an accurate, erudite work which combines practical guidance with excellent analysis.
The book has grown over the years to 3,001 pages (with indexes). It also now comes with a supplement, containing the Criminal Procedure Rules (though not the Committee’s notes to them) and the guidelines of the Sentencing Guidelines Council. This is an excellent idea, and it is no doubt designed to raise the profiles of both.
The work covers the jurisdiction of the magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court, and appeals/judicial review. It includes primary and secondary legislation, together with Codes of Practice, Practice Directions and the Attorney-General’s guidelines, in addition, of course, to commentary. More materials, such as the Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Guidelines, will be found on the CD version.
The text is arranged with exceptional practicality, with generous use of headings, sub headings and the avoidance of footnotes. As far as I have discovered, cases receive only one citation, with preference given to specialist series, such as the Criminal Appeal Reports.
The work states the law as at 1 August 2009, but includes a very good section on youth rehabilitation orders, which only came into force on November 20. In any case, cumulative papers, the online service and the practice bulletins enable the reader to keep fully up to date.
The work scores most heavily over its rivals by including both main criminal jurisdictions (and some civil applications, such as closure, orders) with liberal interlacing of practical material, such as CPS practice and guidance. It was a remarkable feat to include all this whist retaining excellent accessibility. The original founding editor would be very proud indeed of the way his project has been re-born and taken forward.
Adrian Turner LLB, barrister. A longer version of this review was published in (2010) 174 JPN. 45.
The book has grown over the years to 3,001 pages (with indexes). It also now comes with a supplement, containing the Criminal Procedure Rules (though not the Committee’s notes to them) and the guidelines of the Sentencing Guidelines Council. This is an excellent idea, and it is no doubt designed to raise the profiles of both.
The work covers the jurisdiction of the magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court, and appeals/judicial review. It includes primary and secondary legislation, together with Codes of Practice, Practice Directions and the Attorney-General’s guidelines, in addition, of course, to commentary. More materials, such as the Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Guidelines, will be found on the CD version.
The text is arranged with exceptional practicality, with generous use of headings, sub headings and the avoidance of footnotes. As far as I have discovered, cases receive only one citation, with preference given to specialist series, such as the Criminal Appeal Reports.
The work states the law as at 1 August 2009, but includes a very good section on youth rehabilitation orders, which only came into force on November 20. In any case, cumulative papers, the online service and the practice bulletins enable the reader to keep fully up to date.
The work scores most heavily over its rivals by including both main criminal jurisdictions (and some civil applications, such as closure, orders) with liberal interlacing of practical material, such as CPS practice and guidance. It was a remarkable feat to include all this whist retaining excellent accessibility. The original founding editor would be very proud indeed of the way his project has been re-born and taken forward.
Adrian Turner LLB, barrister. A longer version of this review was published in (2010) 174 JPN. 45.
David Ormerod, The Right Honourable Lord Justice Hooper
OUP, October 2009, £221.74 978-0-19-557423-0
This work is now in its 20th edition since its re-incarnation by HHJ Peter Murphy, who has now stood down as Emeritus Editor. Criminal practitioners, and his publishers, owe him a great debt of gratitude. The teams of contributors and editors are immensely strong, providing as near a guarantee as is possible of an accurate, erudite work which combines practical guidance with excellent analysis.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Born from a grievance, their research project grew into a book and is now challenging the status quo. Emma Price and Emma-Louise Fenelon reveal the key findings – and the critical next steps
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
