Text and Materials on the Criminal Justice Process, 4th Edition

Ready access to a particularly wide range of sources provides the student with a complete package, enabling them to gain a sophisticated understanding of the criminal justice process

A clear distinction is made between author analysis and original sources, allowing students to approach materials critically themselves and develop their analytical skills

Includes broader coverage than most criminal justice texts (for example discussing parole and prison issues), providing a rounded picture of the criminal justice system as well as forming an excellent reference source for dissertations

Authoritative commentary combining theory, law, and practice promotes a critical approach, encouraging students to engage in informed debate in this controversial area

New to this edition

Whilst keeping the 'materials' clearly separate, the author's own commentary has been expanded

Covers the broadening of police powers in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

Focuses on the continuing debate over the constitutional status and organisational structures of police forces

Discusses the impact of the re-involvement of the Crown Prosecution Service in charging decisions

Considers the changing role of the magistrates' court and jury since the enactment of the CJA 2003

Examines the impact of the Criminal Procedure Rules 2005

Reviews the effects of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights and other extra-national bodies on criminal justice

Takes stock of the increasing complexity of sentencing law

Includes the role of prisons, probation, and the National Offender Management Service in the enforcement of sentences

Text and Materials on the Criminal Justice Process provides a critical account of the criminal justice system, looking specifically at the role and impact of major players and institutions involved in each of the key decision-making stages.

The topic of criminal justice is an area fit for intense debate. This book contains a wide and varied selection of materials: statutes, case law, empirical research and official and unofficial reports, as well as commonwealth comparative material, theoretical perspectives, and academic comment. These materials are drawn together and given clear and thorough reference in the illuminating narrative, providing a deep and rich perspective on the criminal justice process in England and Wales today. The text enables students to discover that this is a subject with no 'right' answers. Nicola Padfield directs the student on to further reading, and a case-study running throughout the book emphasises the practical reality of the criminal justice process.

Readership: The key market consists of undergraduate and postgraduate students taking a module on the criminal justice system within a law, criminology, sociology or social sciences degree course. The book is also of interest to academics as well as those with a practical interest in the criminal justice system, for example professional students, probation officers, and the police.