Human Rights in the Investigation and Prosecution of Crime

This new book is partly based on the authors' earlier book, Criminal Justice, Police Powers and Human Rights (Blackstone's, 2001, life sales 1776), which was published immediately after the Human Rights Act came into force. The subsequent developments in the criminal justice/human rights field have been so numerous that a new dedicated text on the subject is required as opposed to just a new edition of the authors' previous book. This new book provides a detailed and practical analysis of the impact of UK human rights law on the investigation and prosecution of crime. It deals systematically with the various stages of arrest and detention in police custody, court procedure, evidence, sentencing, and appeals. The narrative provides a comprehensive, in-depth examination of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), looking in detail at the relationship between human rights and police investigatory and surveillance powers.

Keir Starmer QC (Year of Call 1987, Silk 2002) is based at Doughty Street Chambers and is a leading name in the field of human rights law. Andrea Hopkins (Year of Call 1992) was formerly a member of St John's Chambers in Bristol, before leaving civil litigation practice in 1999 to complete an LLM in international human rights law. She then became Legal Adviser to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and was responsible for advising the police service on the application of human rights to the investigation of crime and the exercise of police powers. She delivered training programmes for police officers in human rights and police powers, human rights in the investigation of crime, and professional ethics both in the UK and overseas. She is now a legal adviser for Family Rights Group (FRG) a charity established in 1974 to provide advice and support for families whose children are involved with social services.