Criminal Justice - Softcover

This book on the criminal justice system is intended for students taking Criminology and Criminal Justice options, as well as ELS, Public Law and Sociology of Law courses. The authors concentrate on the apprehension, investigation and trial of suspected offenders, overlaying their analysis with a critical appraisal of the system, and suggesting pointers to improvement. There is an examination of the various stages of the criminal process from the exercise of police powers on the street (stop-search and arrest), through to the final determination of the guilt or innocence of defendants in the criminal courts. Analysis is approached from legal, socio-legal and sociological standpoints to cover not only the law but its operation in practice and to understand why the police and courts operate in the way that they do. In effect, this book tries to show that the way legal rules are operated, and their effects, are central to understanding what those rules actually are. Attention is centred on mainstream concerns and traditional law enforcement. However, a framework of analysis is provided which allows issues such as powers of entry, identification evidence and sex discrimination to be explored by the reader; Discussion also encompasses the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill and the Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill, with an overview of the Royal Commission's recomendations. Major developments up to the end of 1993 are covered.