Author Description

Now in its second edition, Blackstone's Magistrates' Court Handbook provides an indispensable, complete and practical guide for the busy court advocate, offering extensive coverage of offenses, sentencing, procedure and evidential issues.Covering all the key aspects of magistrates' court practice, strong emphasis is placed on the areas most likely to arise at short notice requiring an instant response from the advocate, and on those offences most frequently experienced at court by a legal aid lawyer, such as public order, drugs, weapons, driving, criminal damage and sexual offences.Part A on Procedure, has been expanded include:· Completely rewritten and expanded section on Abuse of Process· Admissibility and Exclusion of Evidence· Amending Charge· Bad Character· Case Management· Commencing Proceedings· Constitution and Jurisdiction· Expanded Costs Section· Disclosure· Hearsay· Identification Evidence· Mental Disorder· Proof· Silence and confessions· Submission of no case· WitnessesBlackstone's Magistrate's Court Handbook is presented in an easy-to-use format, facilitating quick reading and instant decision-making. The text is broken down with frequent headings and bullet points, and there are a number of table and flow-charts, particularly on complex sentencing topics, as well as a clear system of icons to aid comprehension and speedy navigation.Written by Andrew Keogh, a practicing criminal lawyer and leading authority in the field with extensive experience of magistrates' courts. Andrew is the founder and editor of CrimeLine, and also the author of the CLSA Duty Solicitor's Handbook, several Law Society Guides to new criminal legislation, and a contributing author to Blackstone's Criminal Practice and Criminal Costs: A Practical Guide.