About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

11 Int'l J. Police Sci. & Mgmt. 516 (2009)
Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2009

handle is hein.journals/injposcim11 and id is 524 raw text is: International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume 11 Number 4 Book review Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2009 General Editors: Lord Justice Hooper, Professor David Ormerod (Oxford University Press; 3,488 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0-19-955300-6; £185.00 (hardback)) At 3,396 pages, not counting the free quar- terly newsletter and monthly online updates, this volume could hold open a substantial door. But it deserves space on the desk. For individuals the issue must be the accessibility, in different locations, of the online version versus the tangible reality of this magnificent magnum opus. The choice is made additionally difficult as the volume is packaged very attractively. The paper is tissue thin, light and slightly transparent, providing a tactile delight lost to electronic screens. The print size may be small, per- mitting many words per page, but it is presented very clearly with skilful use of different fonts and methods of emphasis. Footnotes are avoided with single references provided in the text and, with each para- graph numbered, easy cross-referencing within the book and for the updates. If you know what you want, rather than wishing to undertake a general search, you may be quicker using this hardback version, espe- cially as it is so much easier to power up than a computer. Twenty-two contributors are credited, mainly barristers, in addition to the general editors: Lord Justice Hooper and Professor David Ormerod. It is divided into six main subject areas: the general principles of the criminal law, key substantive offences, all road traffic offences, guidance on the prac- tice and procedure involved in taking a case from investigation through trial to appeal, guidance on sentencing and detailed guid- ance on the law and practice relating to admissible evidence. Nine appendices include the Codes of Practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Sentencing Council's guidelines. The target audience of this volume, obviously, is practising lawyers. The empha- sis is upon legal issues, for example what the law of murder requires to be proved and not why, by whom, when, where or how it is often committed. Others, such as police officers, criminal justice professionals and criminologists, may automatically dismiss it as not having any value for them; indeed their disciplines are rarely cited. But that would be most unfortunate. They may be unable to justify a copy for their desk but a departmental or library copy ought to be considered. There is so much here, very clearly explained, authoritative, excellently presented. The criminal law, its substantive provisions and trial procedures, are of the essence of criminology and criminal justice education. Criminology, criminal justice and related courses have paid too little attention to extending their students' intel- lectual skills such as by ensuring that they can distinguish when people do, and do not, have criminal responsibility, and that they can find, assess, order and analyse facts and evidence. It might, very fairly, be argued that the contents of this volume are available else- where, particularly electronically. And few International Journal of Police Science and Management, Vol. 11 No. 4, 2009, pp. 516-517. DOI: 10.1350/ijps.2009.11.4.151 Page 51

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most