Book Review: Wolchover and Heaton-Armstrong on Confession Evidence
| Date | 01 April 1997 |
| Published date | 01 April 1997 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X9707000217 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
of technical detail - including such esoteric delicacies as insider-
dealing, computer misuse and new rules on territorial jurisdiction - to a
comprehensible form which will be received by practitioners with a degree
of glee normally associated with Christmas.
WOLCHOVERAND HEATON-ARMSTRONG ON CONFESSION
EVIDENCE, Sweet &Maxwell (Criminal Law Library).
Hardback
£99.
A new title for the Criminal Law Library written by two experienced
barristers, David Wolchover and Anthony Heaton-Armstrong, both of
Grays Inn.
The authors point out that there have been only two treatises dedicated
to confessions under the criminal law of England: one in 1842, now chiefly
of historical interest, and Peter Mirfield's Confessions, published in 1985
by Sweet &Maxwell. The latter contains much that remains extremely
valuable and the writers have relied heavily on his commentary, but with
the mass oflitigation brought about by the Police and Criminal Evidence
Act 1984, it became obvious that a new, in-depth study was required. This
dedicated work, therefore, is designed to satisfy all the requirements of busy
practitioners and includes the historical background to developments as
well as a skilful analysis both of the law itself and the case-law decisions
which have arisen from it.
The scheme of the book reflects the chronology of the criminal process
and injust five chapters the whole gamut is covered. Chapter I is a general
examination of the nature of confessions as an instrument of establishing
guilt; ch.2 embraces the means by which the confession is obtained; ch.3
describes the criminal process and how the confession was recorded, which
includes a review of theolder methods used; ch.4 deals with the exclusion
of confessions; and ch.5 covers the difficult question of the extent to which
the courts may permit the defendant's silence to be treated as evidence in
support of the accusation.
Excellent value for a scholarly treatise by acknowledged authorities on
PACE.
MITCHELL, TAYLOR AND TALBOT ON CONFISCA
nON
AND
THE
PROCEEDS OF CRIME, 2nd edn, Sweet &Maxwell (Criminal
Law Library).
Hardback
£99.
Legislative changes and significantdecisions in the courts have necessitated
the production of a second edition of this fine book, which practitioners,
investigators, members of the judiciary et al will warmly welcome because
of the coherent pathway that it cuts through the legal thickets.
PART I
Beginning with a chapter that provides an historical perspective from feudal
times to today, the authors proceed to deal comprehensively, but concisely,
with all aspects of law, practice and procedure relating to this complex
subject, incorporating new legislation -including aconsolidated Part VI
of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and the Drug Trafficking Act 1994 - and
all relevant case-law. Chapter 10 (of 12) under the heading "Forfeiture,
184 The Police Journal April 1997
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