Recent Book: Magisterial Law and Practice: Magistrates' Court Guide 1968
| Date | 01 May 1968 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6804100506 |
| Published date | 01 May 1968 |
| Author | J. Daniel Devlin |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
MAGISTERIAL LAW
AND
PRACflCE
E.
ANTIIONY
and
J. D.
BERRYMAN:
Magistrates' Court Guide 1968.
Butterworths, 25s. (By
post
Is. Gd. extra)
There
has always been a need
for
asmall, conoise
handbook,
for magistrates
and
others whose
business brings
them
into
contact
with magistrates' courts, such as
probation
officers, children's officers
and junior
court
staff,
and
this
work fills this need admirably.
The
text is
arranged
in sections
corresponding to the various aspects
of magisterial practice
and
these
are subdivided further so
that
in-
formation relating to offences and
other items is readily available.
There
can be no
doubt
that
the
work will be
found
to be most
useful to those
not
well versed in
the intricacies of the law
and
who
do not wish or do
not
feel able
to use the larger text-books. It is
doubtful, however, whether police-
men will find it equally useful, in
view of its necessarily limited scope
and size. This is
not
to say, how-
ever,
that
it is of no interest to
the police and some of its features
are of value,
One
of
the
authors,
as well as being a magistrate, is
also a
doctor
and
the
article on
"Alcohol
and tire
Motorist"
is
therefore written with
some
auth-
ority. It gives an illuminating
glimpse into the attitude a magi-
strate is likely to
take
in respect
of
the
use of the breathalyser.
Apart
from
the
sections on
criminal and
road
traffic law which
have an obvious value to the police,
the sections on
liquor
and
betting
licensing and
the
appendices on
evidence,
court
procedure
and
com-
mittal procedures will have the
greatest
appeal
to police readers,
although their brevity (which is a
virtue to a lay magistrate who
uses the
book
in court) detracts
from its usefulness to the Service.
An
author
who seeks to provide
a quick
and
easy reference to com-
plicated legal questions
and
con-
cepts, which at the same time is
unambiguous
and
readily under-
stood
by laymen, is undertaking a
formidable task. It
must
be
acknowledged
that
the
authors
of
this Guide
have
achieved their
object and deserve congratulations,
J.
DANIEL
DEVLIN
MEETINGS
VINCENT
POWELL-SMIm: Blackwell's Law
of
Meetings. Butterworths. 40s.
The
jacket of this excellent
book
so well
and
with such
good
refer-
recommends it to a variety of ences.
people who have
either
to conduct It will be very unusual,
now
there
meetings or to take
part
in them. I are fewer forces
and
larger
police
am
sure
it
was an oversight
that
divisions,
for
any
superintendent to
police officers were
not
listed
among
complete his service
without
having
them, because the
book
contains so to
arrange
police coverage
at
meet-
much
of value,
both
to police offi- ings. It is a
most
important
and
cers studying
for
the
promotion
responsible
duty
for
all concerned,
examinations
and
to
more
senior and
any
doubt
on
any
point
can
people on whose shoulders may fall be cleared very quickly
beforehand
the heavy responsibility of police by reference to this book.
In
addi-
action
at
meetings. tion,
the
chairmanship
of
many
It
is
an
easy
book
to read, and meetings will
undoubtedly
fall to
for
the
student
all
the
important
superintendents
and
here
agam
the
case law is explained lucidly
and
book.
gives all the .answers t? tpe
. I 0 h h questions of
how
this responsibility
concise y. ne can,
per
ap~,
ave
-when
authority
is always likely
too
many.
bo?ks
when
.studymg
for
to be
challenged-should
be dis-
the examinations
but
It would be charged.
It
certainly qualifies
for
difficult to find 'Other works in a place in any police library.
which this big subject is covered J. G.
MORRISON
210 May 1968
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