Recent Book: Preparation for Promotion: Baker and Wilkie's Police Promotion Handbook No. 1 — Criminal Law
| Author | R. M. Law |
| Published date | 01 July 1981 |
| Date | 01 July 1981 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8105400319 |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
This is probably the most useful part of
the booklet.
A folder prepared by the Magistrates'
Association with suggested traffic
offence penalties is included as an
appendix. It iscarefully pointed out that
the proposals do not comprise atariff of
set penalties but merely provide a
starting point for discussion inan effort
to prevent unjustified anomalies arising
from sentencing in different courts.
The booklet is well written and
contains a wealth of practical experience
in this field. no more than one would
expect from the co-author of Wilkinson's
Road
Traf/i
Offences. R.S. and P.S.
EVIDENCE
ELlICIDATED
PETER
M
l'RPHY:
A Practical
Approach
to Evidence.
London: Financial Training Publications Ltd. £9.95.
Evidence is a complex and technical
subject upon which much is written -
though not always successfully. It is there-
fore refreshing to come upon a book whose
style of presentation does much to assist
the reader in obtaining adeeper
understanding of this difficult area of the
law. Like most of English Law. evidence
is comprised of a disparate collection of
rules derived from the
common
law and
also enacted by statute. The successful
approach of this book derives largely
from its practical connotation which
seeks to structure the subject
around
afictitious case. This thematic approach.
though not a novel innovation (see for
instance The Criminal Court in
Action
by David Barnard - a book on
procedure) does have the advantage of
enablingthe readerto appreciate the laws
of evidence as applied to practical
situations and to view the subject area as
a whole. As the reader progresses
through the book and considers the
important rules of evidence he is
constantly referred back to the various
facets of the fictitious case
and
how they
touch
upon
the
point
under
consideration. The issues raised are
explained
in a
thorough
and
authoratitive manner. the
author
using a
very clear and lucid style of presentation.
Although primarily intended for
students
reading
for
the
Bar
Examination. this book deserves a wider
audience. Mr. Murphy purposely does
not treat his subject in an academic way
and the resulting
approach
may be
readily appreciated by police officers
wishing to extend or consolidate their
professional knowledge in this area. A
barrister of eight years standing and a
lecturer in evidence at the Inns of
Court
School of Law. the
author
is amply
qualified to present the subject in his
chosen manner. He. however. makes the
very valid point that realism would be
sacrificed if every important rule of
evidence were incorporated into the one
fictitious case. Nevertheless. despite this
constraint. the case is presented in a
realistic manner and the issues it raises
will be readily recognized by police
officers in a practical context.
The book shows the laws of evidence
acting upon the civil and criminal law
and
usefully
demonstrates
this
relationship and its influence bothwithin
and upon 'each branch of the law. In
present times where civil litigation is
often
contemplated.
arising
from
circumstances initiated by the police. it is
essential
to
be
aware
of
such
relationships. The subject area of the
book is presented in a technically
competent manner and is a useful and
recommended addition to any police
officer's bookshelf. The small size of the
book belies the detail contained within it
and consists of 398 pages of text divided
into four cogent parts. with 16 chapters.
There are, of course. the usual tables of
references
to
cases and statutes.
R. M.
PHILLIPS
PREPARATION FOR PROMOTION
E. R.
BAKER
and F. B.
DODGE:
Baker
and
Wilkie's Police Promotion
Handbook
No. I
Criminal Law (6th Edition).
London: Butterworths. £3.90.
This is one of a series of four handbooks Criminal Law: Criminal Evidence and
which deal with the various subjects
'of
Procedure: General Police Duties and
the police
promotion
examinations: Road Traffic.
3"2 July 1981
They are all designed to follow the
syllabus for the various papers. and are
intended to enable a student to acquire
both the fundamental knowledge and the
techniques of answering questions
necessary to pass the examinations. They
also provide a good basis for the more
ambitious student who seeks a wider
range of knowledge.
The work under review is the sixth
edition of Handbook No. 1 which deals
with part II of the syllabus. Since the
publication of the fifth edition in 1978
there have been many changes and
additions
to
the
law
which
fundamentally affect the subject matter.
Thus the Theft Act 1978 abolishes the
defective sub. of s. 16 of the 1968 Act and
creates
three
additional
offences
involving deception. These are dealt with
by an addition of Paragraph 13 to
Chapter 2.
The Protection of Children Act 1978
was
brought
in to
prevent
the
exploitation of children by taking
indecent photographs and films of them,
and this has been noted in the
appropriate parts of the text.
Additionally,
modifications
and
extensions to the syllabus have been
included and reference made to recent
cases and their interpretive effect on the
law.
The handbook has been redesigned to
incorporate anumber of new features:
(a) Those subjects which are applicable
only to the examination for promotion to
the rank of Inspector are clearly edge-
marked alongside the appropriate
paragraph. thus enabling the student to
concentrate his studies on that part of the
syllabus appropriate to his examination.
(b) The list of contents by chapter is
now sub-divided by paragraphs for ease
of reference. thus ABORTION is listed
under Chapter 3. Paragraph 6. with the
appropriate page number shown.
(c) The printing of sub-headings and
decided case titles is in bold black type. as
opposed to italics. which draws the
student's attention more readily to
salient points.
(d) A list of abbreviations used in the
handbook is given.
Progress checks are included to test the
student's understanding of the subject
matter. but the ability required to answer
these questions is confined to subjective
techniques. One half of the promotion
examinations consists of objective
questions, and it would have been
beneficial
if
multi-choice.
multi-
response! multi-eompletion questions
had been included to test the students
skill of recall. comprehension and
application. Students studying for
promotion will need to research
elsewhere to obtain this experience.
R. M. LAW
HISTORY AND CRIME
JAMES
A.
INGARDI
and
CHARLES
E.
FAUPEL:
Implications/or Criminal Justice Policy.
London and Beverley Hills: Sage Publications. £11.85 (£6.25 soft backed).
This book is an amalgam of 13 articles century) provides a vivid picture of life'
written by different authors on subjects and crime of that era in London.
ranging across the history of crime in Other sections of the book deal with
time and the changes in understanding
the
Mafia,
crimes
arising
from
and acceptance which have taken place in prohibition, and murder in the 19th and
the last two to three hundred years. 20th Centuries. It is a broadly based
Although primarily directed at the volume, well worth reading especially by
American reader the message is equally the student or reader interested in the
valid in the U.K. For example, the historical, soc'ial and environmental
portrayal of
Jonathon
Wild (Eighteenth backcloth of the times. H.A.T.
MAGISTRATES AND MATRIMONIAL PROCEEDINGS
M. D. A.
FREEMAN
and
CHRISTINA
LYON:
The Matrimonial Jurisdiction 0/
Magistrates' Courts.
Chichester: Barry Rose (Publishers) Ltd. £10.80.
A rare combination of a thorough respected by any practitioner in
knowledge of subject matter and concise magistrates' courts.
Injust
over 100pages
method of presentation on the part
ofthe
of text the authors lead the reader
authors must make this a work to be well through all the recent changes in
July 1981 303
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