Book review: Criminal Investigation
| DOI | 10.1177/000486908301600419 |
| Published date | 01 December 1983 |
| Date | 01 December 1983 |
| Author | R Bayley |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
286
BOOK
REVIEWS
(1983) 16
ANZJ
CRIM
major
up-date
(release 1). Thus for example, one is obliged to search
the
supplementary
index for material relating to
the
new sexual assault offences.
When
this is
done
however, avery detailed
and
useful list of itemized subjects
under
that
heading
is found. It is
important
to recognize
that
the
book is essentially aresource
for legal research. It is not infallible,
there
are omissions
and
it is
not
intended
to
replace afollow-up of primary sources to which reference is
therein
made.
The
new
edition will
undoubtedly
prove to be
the
first port-of-call for many legal researchers.
There
is little in Craicford's Proof in Criminal Cases that is not also found in
Volume 1of Watson and Purnell.
The
former is concerned primarily with
the
framing
of indictments,
and
the
analysis of
the
elements of offences contained in
the
Crimes
Act of
New
South Wales.
The
offences are considered in
the
same chronological
order
as
they
appear
in
the
Crimes Act, and brief, concise notes, including references to
leading cases
and
relevant articles, follow
the
breakdown of offences into
their
constituent
elements.
There
is considerable cross-referencing to Watson
and
Purnell.
Because of
the
overlap in
the
subject
matter
of
both
books,
the
question arises as
to
whether
Bartley's Crauford:« is redundant.
Indeed
it is claimed
that
the
publishers
were
"almost compelled" to
prepare
this edition because of a constant
demand
for it.
The
reason for this is obvious. It is a less expensive, smaller, less
cumbersome
tool
that
is ideally
suited
for
the
policeman who has
the
task of framing
the
charge
and
interrogating
the
offender. It cannot be described as a significant academic
contribution to
the
criminal law of New SouthWales,
but
it can certainly be
described
as handy, useful, practical and
perhaps
even indispensable for
the
working policeman
and
police prosecutor. Criminologists or statisticians without legal training may also
find
that
the
fourth edition of Crauford's provides auseful
shortcut
towards
understanding
the
definition of particular offences. Both this book,
and
Watson
and
Purnell
are therefore valuable reference books relating to
the
criminal law in
New
South Wales.
Canberra IVAN POTAS
Criminal
Investigation, Wayne W
Bennett
and
Karen MHess,
West
Publishing Co,
Minnesota (1981) 493 pp, $39.50. -
Could
yet
another
book on criminal investigation find a place amongst
the
volumes
already
written
on
the
art
and/or science of solving crimes? Often
the
success of a
publication lies not with its subject
matter
but
in its style of presentation. So it is
with
Criminal Investigation.
The
combination of Bennett's 35 years of experience in law
enforcement
and
the
background in education of Hess has
produced
abook which is
both
informative
and
easily read
and
which could well serve as a
model
in
the
development
of police training courses.
This is not a book for those romantics who cling to
the
Holmesian approach to
criminal investigation,
nor
for
the
newer
generation of TV detectives: successful
criminal investigation "involves abalance
between
the
scientific knowledge of
the
investigative process acquired by study and experience and
the
skills acquired by
the
artful application of
learned
techniques". It is, then, police officers, particularly those
who have acquired basic
street
experience, who will benefit most from Criminal
Investigation.
The
book, although designed as a text for police recruits is, frankly,
more
likely to succeed in honing investigative skills than shaping them.
Its
contents
cover
the
basics of criminal investigation (definitions, goals,
investigator characteristics, investigative equipment) and investigative
techniques
in
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