Magistrates' Courts Criminal Practice 2011

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• published: 06 Jul 2011
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BOOK REVIEW MAGISTRATES' COURTS CRIMINAL PRACTICE 2011 General Editor: David L Brewer Jordan Publishing Limited ISBN: 978-1-84551-273-2 www.jordanpublishing.co.uk PRACTICAL AND ACCESSIBLE HELP AND GUIDANCE FOR ADVOCATES IN THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS PLUS CD An Appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers In the words of Thomas LJ who writes the Foreword to this 2011 edition of 'Magistrates' Courts Criminal Practice', here's a textbook that sets out with clarity the main areas of practice and procedure of the criminal jurisdiction of the Magistrates' Courts. The key word here is 'clarity' -- ever a necessary but too often a rare attribute when it comes to legal texts -- but evident in abundance in this comprehensive and authoritative volume recently published by Jordans. Very much in the minds of the editor David Brewer and his team of nine expert contributors, are the changes in law and procedure that have taken place in the past decade and which, in the opinion of Thomas, have made the law more complex. The implications for justice here are of course worrying, which means that in the interests of justice, the aim of the Magistrates' Courts should be to ensure that all cases that come before them are dealt with fairness and efficiency, with the overriding objective as set out in the Criminal Procedure Rules that 'criminal cases be dealt with justly.' Achieving this objective as consistently as possible does depend on clarity, i.e. the clear identification of relevant issues, including those that are agreed and those that are disputed. This new edition of Magistrates' Courts Criminal Practice will undoubtedly be a boon to advocates in that it emerges as an excellent navigational aid, so to speak, for practice and procedure. It provides step-by-step advice on a vast number of court procedures, following the normal progression of a case. The work is divided into six parts starting with Part I, "The Procedural Guides", and Part II, the Elements of Offences, which commences with 'Definitions.' In Part I there are eighteen Procedural Guides, including the full spectrum of issues that can be conceivably encountered in the magistrates' court, from commencement of proceedings and legal advice and representation... to evidence and sentencing... to civil applications and appeals. Each procedural guide is logically presented in three concise sections: first the Legal Background, followed by Procedure, (laid out for ease of access in a three column format) followed by very often copious and detailed explanatory notes as appropriate. In Part II, the 'Elements of Offences section lists 118 offences with a concise explication of each. Parts III to VI include Statutes, Statutory Instruments, Practice Directions, Codes of Practice and Guidelines. Within its almost 3 000 pages this noteworthy useful volume, includes all the relevant up to date content including the Criminal Procedure Rules 2010 up to and including the 2nd amendment... coverage of the Youth Court Bench Book 2010...and all other recent legislative changes. This is indeed an essential work of reference for all practitioners who routinely deal with cases in the Magistrates' Courts. The law is stated as at February 2011.

Magistrates' Courts Criminal Practice 2011

• Report rights infringement
• published: 06 Jul 2011
• views: 416

BOOK REVIEW MAGISTRATES' COURTS CRIMINAL PRACTICE 2011 General Editor: David L Brewer Jordan Publishing Limited ISBN: 978-1-84551-273-2 www.jordanpublishing.co.uk PRACTICAL AND ACCESSIBLE HELP AND GUIDANCE FOR ADVOCATES IN THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS PLUS CD An Appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers In the words of Thomas LJ who writes the Foreword to this 2011 edition of 'Magistrates' Courts Criminal Practice', here's a textbook that sets out with clarity the main areas of practice and procedure of the criminal jurisdiction of the Magistrates' Courts. The key word here is 'clarity' -- ever a necessary but too often a rare attribute when it comes to legal texts -- but evident in abundance in this comprehensive and authoritative volume recently published by Jordans. Very much in the minds of the editor David Brewer and his team of nine expert contributors, are the changes in law and procedure that have taken place in the past decade and which, in the opinion of Thomas, have made the law more complex. The implications for justice here are of course worrying, which means that in the interests of justice, the aim of the Magistrates' Courts should be to ensure that all cases that come before them are dealt with fairness and efficiency, with the overriding objective as set out in the Criminal Procedure Rules that 'criminal cases be dealt with justly.' Achieving this objective as consistently as possible does depend on clarity, i.e. the clear identification of relevant issues, including those that are agreed and those that are disputed. This new edition of Magistrates' Courts Criminal Practice will undoubtedly be a boon to advocates in that it emerges as an excellent navigational aid, so to speak, for practice and procedure. It provides step-by-step advice on a vast number of court procedures, following the normal progression of a case. The work is divided into six parts starting with Part I, "The Procedural Guides", and Part II, the Elements of Offences, which commences with 'Definitions.' In Part I there are eighteen Procedural Guides, including the full spectrum of issues that can be conceivably encountered in the magistrates' court, from commencement of proceedings and legal advice and representation... to evidence and sentencing... to civil applications and appeals. Each procedural guide is logically presented in three concise sections: first the Legal Background, followed by Procedure, (laid out for ease of access in a three column format) followed by very often copious and detailed explanatory notes as appropriate. In Part II, the 'Elements of Offences section lists 118 offences with a concise explication of each. Parts III to VI include Statutes, Statutory Instruments, Practice Directions, Codes of Practice and Guidelines. Within its almost 3 000 pages this noteworthy useful volume, includes all the relevant up to date content including the Criminal Procedure Rules 2010 up to and including the 2nd amendment... coverage of the Youth Court Bench Book 2010...and all other recent legislative changes. This is indeed an essential work of reference for all practitioners who routinely deal with cases in the Magistrates' Courts. The law is stated as at February 2011.