Wilkinson's Road Traffic Offences 27th Edition

Wilkinson's Road Traffic Offences is the definitive guide to road traffic law.

As the definitive authority on road traffic offences in England and Wales Wilkinson’s Road Traffic Offences is the go-to guide covering every facet of road traffic law you are likely to encounter, whatever the situation.

Providing an unbeatable combination of in-depth analysis with a userfriendly format Wilkinson’s explains the law, legal principles and procedure, showing both what the law is and how to proceed with prosecuting or defending a case.

Setting out the basic principles and clarifies key terms, it covers specific offences chapter-by-chapter ensuring relevant information is easy to find, and follows through to sentencing and appeals, covering every aspect in chronological order, so you’re never at a loss for the answer you need.

With a renowned and authoritative author team, led by Kevin McCormac, the book sets out the implications of legislative and case law developments, goes through typical and unusual situations and provides advice on the law relating to them and provides easy access to core statutory and related primary materials, with annotation to clarify complex areas, but that’s not all…

The work also gives full consideration of the Sentencing Guidelines Council’s revised Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Guidelines as regards each road traffic offence and covers the newly in force causing death by driving offences and the Sentencing Guidelines Council’s definitive sentencing guideline applying to them.

Volume 1 sets out the definitions of road traffic law providing an explanation of the law and procedure both for prosecuting and defending a case. Specific offences are dealt with chapter by chapter. Volume 2 contains core statutory material, including statutes such as the Road Safety Act, SIS, E U Legislation and international agreements.

New to the 27th Edition:-

• Brings the main work up to date to March 1, 2015.
• Detailed coverage of the new provisions relating to driving under the influence of drugs.
• Identification and consideration of the extensively revised provisions contained in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 especially those relating to the offences of causing death or serious injury when driving whilst disqualified.
• Incorporates relevant provisions for Crime and Courts Act 2013, Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 and Deregulation Act 2015 brought into force at the end of the Parliamentary session including the criminal courts charge and the changes to the victims surcharge
• Coverage of the new procedures relating to the gathering of evidence around drink driving
• Coverage of the new provisions regarding commencement date for court ordered disqualification from driving and incorporation of the many changes flowing from the removal of the obligation for driving licence counterparts and from the removal of the upper maximum for fines in magistrates’ courts
• For goods vehicles noting changes to requirements regarding the display of licences and the liability for excise duty and the road user levy for heavy goods vehicles
• Coverage of the continuing emphasis on the need for justice to be done rather than relying on detailed analysis of procedural compliance; see, for example Canterbury City Council v Ali (2013) (appeal hearing to focusing on the rightness of the decision rather than the process)
• Noting changes regarding tachographs and the move towards “smart’ tachographs
• Drawing attention to the coming mutual recognition of disqualification between the UK and the Republic of Ireland
• Authoritative review of the range of provisions reflecting the fundamental shift taking place in the management of criminal justice, including improving the speed with which cases are dealt with, the new allocation procedures and the revisions to the Criminal Procedure Rules increasing the emphasis on electronic service of documents.
• In-depth commentary on latest case law: DPP v Isler (2014) (carrying sick people does not necessarily make a vehicle an ambulance); DPP v. Petrie (2015) and Clay v Clerk to the Justices (2014) (abuse of process); R. v J. (2013) (autrefois acquit); Magee v Crown Prosecution Service (2014) (belief based on self induced intoxication); R. v Langley [2014] (disqualification from driving following conspiracy to commit a serious criminal offence)
• Full updating in Volume 2.