Murder is often regarded as both the 'ultimate' and a unique crime, and whereas courts are normally given discretion in sentencing offenders, for murder the sentence is mandatory – indeterminate imprisonment. Since the crime and the punishment come as a 'package deal' this book looks at both the legal nature of the offence and at the current operation of the mandatory life sentence. Not only does the book adopt a critical approach, by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the status qu...

'A great and educational read..' Amazon 5 star reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐**'**Would definitely recommend to anyone thinking .' Amazon 5 star reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Criminology is a multi-disciplinary subject - but it doesn't have to be difficult. This book, complete with case studies and key facts, forms a course which will take you from beginner or intermediate level to having a confident grasp of th...

This new edition of the bestselling Blackstone's Magistrates' Court Handbook provides a complete practical guide for the busy magistrates' court advocate. Incorporating essential extracts from the Magistrates' Court Sentencing Guidelines, Andrew Keogh offers all you need in one trustworthy source. Covering all the key aspects of magistrates' court practice, the book focuses on the areas most likely to arise at short notice requiring an instant response from the advocate, as well as on those o...

As the number of prisoners in the UK, USA and elsewhere continues to rise, so have concerns risen about the damaging short term and long term effects this has on prisoners. This book brings together a group of leading authorities in this field, both academics and practitioners, to address the complex issues this has raised, to assess the implications and results of research in this field, and to suggest ways of mitigating the often devastating personal and psychological consequences of imp...

Although there are many texts on the law of evidence, surprisingly few are devoted specifically to the comparative and international aspects of the subject. The traditional view that the law of evidence belongs within the common law tradition has obscured the reality that a genuinely cosmopolitan law of evidence is being developed in criminal cases across the common law and civil law traditions. By considering the extent to which a coherent body of common evidentiary standards is being dev...

This book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative book yet published on the subject of criminal investigation, a rapidly developing area within the police and other law enforcement agencies, and an important sub discipline within police studies.The subject is rarely out of the headlines, and there is widespread media interest in criminal investigation. Within the police rapid strides are being made in the direction of professionalizing the criminal investigation process, ...

Organised Crime and the Law presents an overview of the laws and policies adopted to address the phenomenon of organised crime in the United Kingdom and Ireland, assessing the changes to these justice systems, in terms of the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of such criminality. While the notion of organised crime is a contested one, States' legal responses treat it and its constituent offences as unproblematic in a definitional sense. This book advances a systematic d...

This book provides a leading point of reference in the field of partial defences to murder and with respect to the mental condition defences of loss of control and diminished responsibility in general. The work includes contributions from leading specialists from different jurisdictions. Divided into two parts, the first provides an analysis from the perspective of the UK, looking at particular concerns such as domestic violence, revenge and mixed motive killings, mistaken beliefs. The sec...

This book provides a comprehensive examination of all the required areas of criminal and policing law, with explicit links to the National Occupational Standards. Chapters open with clear objectives and include regular revision notes, knowledge check questions and answers and practical activities.This second edition has been fully revised to expand the content, take account of recent changes and reflect the latest legislation. In particular there is a new chapter on PCSOs, the sect...

Contemporary prison practice faces many challenges, is developing rapidly and is become increasingly professionalized, influenced by the new National Offender Management Service. As well as bringing an increased emphasis on skills and qualifications it has also introduced a new set of ideas and concepts into the established prisons and penal lexicon.At the same time courses on prisons and penology remain important components of criminology and criminal justice degree courses. This ...

How does the law deal with young offenders, and to what extent does the law protect and promote the rights of young people in conflict with the law? These are the central issues addressed by Young Offenders and the Law in its examination of the legal response to the phenomenon of youth offending, and the contemporary forces that shape the law.This book develops the reader’s understanding of the sociological, criminological, historical, political, and philosophical approach...

This book examines the rise and proliferation of 'Supermaxes', large prisons dedicated to holding prisoners in prolonged and strict solitary confinement, in the United States since the late 1980s.Drawing on unique access to two Supermax prisons and on in-depth interviews with prison officials, prison architects, current and former prisoners, mental health professionals, penal, legal, and human rights experts, it provides a holistic view of the theory, practice and consequences of t...