Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2024

Led by Professor David Ormerod CBE, KC (Hon) and David Perry KC, Blackstone's Criminal Practice brings together an expert team of authors with a commitment to deliver a work which offers detailed and insightful coverage for criminal practice and authoritative statements of the law in a practical and accessible format. With an accompanying supplement containing essential primary materials and commentary updates throughout the year, and access to regular web updates and the additional analysis provided by Blackstone's Briefings, you can rely on Blackstone's Criminal Practice to be your constant companion.

The 2024 edition has been meticulously revised to provide extensive coverage of all new legislation, case law, Sentencing Guidelines, and the Criminal Procedure Rules 2020, and the Criminal Practice Directions 2023.

David Ormerod CBE, KC (Hon), Bencher of Middle Temple, Professor of Criminal Justice, University College London,David Perry KC, Barrister, 6KBW College Hill

Part A: Criminal Law
A1. Actus reus: the external elements of an offence
A2. Mens rea
A3. General defences
A4. Parties to offences
A5. Inchoate offences
A6. Corporate liability
A7. Human rights
A8. Territorial and extra-territorial jurisdiction
A9. European Union law
Part B: Offences
B1. Homicide and related offences
B2. Non-fatal offences against the person
B3. Sexual offences
B4. Theft, handling stolen goods and related offences
B5. Fraud and blackmail
B6. Falsification, forgery and counterfeiting
B7. Company, commercial and insolvency offences
B8. Damage to property
B9. Offences affecting security
B10. Terrorism, piracy and hijacking
B11. Offences affecting public order
B12. Offences relating to weapons
B13. Offences affecting enjoyment of premises
B14. Offences against the administration of justice
B15. Corruption
B16. Revenue, customs and social security offences
B17. Offences involving misuse of computers
B18. Offences involving writing, speech or publication
B19. Offences related to drugs
B20. Offences relating to dangerous dogs and animal welfare
B21. Offences relating to money laundering and the proceeds of criminal conduct
B22. Modern slavery, trafficking and immigration offences
Part C: Road Traffic Offences
C1. Definitions and basic principles in road traffic cases
C2. Procedure and evidence in road traffic cases
C3. Offences relating to driving triable on indictment
C4. Offences relating to documents triable on indictment
C5. Drink-driving and drug-driving offences
C6. Summary traffic offences
C7. Sentencing
C8. Schedules 2 and 3 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988
Part D: Procedure
D1. Powers of investigation
D2. The decision to prosecute and diversion
D3. Courts, parties and abuse of process
D4. Criminal Procedure Rules and case management
D5. Starting a prosecution and preliminary proceedings in magistrates’ courts
D6. Classification of offences and determining allocation (mode of trial)
D7. Bail
D8. Assets recovery
D9. Disclosure
D10. Sending cases from the magistrates’ court to the Crown Court
D11. The indictment
D12. Arraignment and pleas
D13. Juries
D14. Special measures and anonymity orders
D15. Trial on indictment: general matters and pre-trial procedure
D16. Trial on indictment: the prosecution case
D17. Trial on indictment: the defence case
D18. Trial on indictment: procedure between close of defence case and retirement of jury
D19. Trial on indictment: procedure relating to retirement of the jury and verdict
D20. Trial on indictment: sentencing procedure
D21. Summary trial: general and preliminary matters
D22. Summary trial: the course of the trial
D23. Sentencing in the magistrates’ court
D24. Trial of children and young people
D25. Behaviour orders
D26. Appeal to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) following trial on indictment
D27. Procedure on appeal to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
D28. Reference to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) by the Attorney-General and Criminal Cases Review Commission
D29. Challenging decisions of magistrates’ courts and of the Crown Court in its appellate capacity
D30. Appeals to the Supreme Court and the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights
D31. Extradition
D32. Public funding
D33. Costs
Part E: Sentencing
E1. Sentencing code and sentencing guidelines
E2. Sentencing: general provisions
E3. Absolute and conditional discharge
E4. Referral and reparation orders
E5. Fines
E6. Compensation orders
E7. Restitution orders
E8. Deprivation orders and forfeiture orders
E9. Binding over
E10. Orders against parents
E11. Youth rehabilitation orders
E12. Community orders
E13. Custodial sentences: general provisions
E14. Suspended sentences
E15. Custodial sentences: detention and custody of offenders under 18
E16. Life sentences, extended sentences, serious terrorism sentences and custodial sentences for certain offenders of ‘particular concern’
E17. Mandatory life sentences
E18. Minimum custodial sentences
E19. Confiscation orders
E20. Recommendation for deportation
E21. Exclusions and disqualifications
E22. Mentally disordered offenders
E23. Notification requirements
E24. Rehabilitation of offenders
Part F: Evidence
F1. General principles of evidence in criminal cases
F2. Evidence unlawfully, improperly or unfairly obtained and the discretion to exclude evidence
F3. Burden and standard of proof and presumptions
F4. Competence and compellability of witnesses and oaths and affirmations
F5. Corroboration and care warnings
F6. Examination-in-chief
F7. Cross-examination and re-examination
F8. Documentary evidence and real evidence
F9. Public policy
F10. Privilege
F11. Opinion evidence
F12. Admissibility of previous verdicts and findings
F13. Character evidence: evidence of bad character of accused
F14. Character evidence: admissibility of evidence of accused’s good character
F15. Character evidence: evidence of bad character of persons other than the accused
F16. The rule against hearsay: general principles
F17. Exceptions to the rule against hearsay (excluding confessions)
F18. The rule against hearsay: confessions
F19. Evidence of identification
F20. Inferences from silence and the non-production of evidence