May on Criminal Evidence

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Description
Criminal evidence is an area of the law that is both highly complex and rapidly changing. All criminal practitioners must have a clear understanding of the principles and practice of the relevant rules of evidence. The sixth edition of May on Criminal Evidence provides just such an understanding. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 made enormous changes to much of the law on criminal evidence and that, combined with the extent of amending and subsequent legislation and case law, means that access to a comprehensive account and analysis of the present-day law is essential for criminal practitioners. Another development has been the growing importance of the European Convention on Human Rights and its application to the law of England and Wales. The principles of the Convention and their analysis by the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg are now embedded in English law and practice and are deftly interwoven into the text of this edition. Recent developments in case law and legislation in all areas of criminal evidence are also covered.
Areas covered by May on Criminal Evidence Include:
•    The meaning and classification of evidence; best evidence; admissibility and relevance;
      real evidence; documents 
•    The burden and standard of proof
•    Exclusionary rules and exceptions: evidence of opinion; character;
      hearsay including confessions.
•    Exclusion through discretion; privilege; public interest; Convention rights
•    Identification; corroboration; suspect evidence
•    Rules connected with the trial: functions of judge, jury, justices; competence and
      compellability of witnesses; disclosure; course of evidence; previous consistent
       statements; examination of witnesses
Contents
Part I : Introductory
1.    Introduction
2.    Real Evidence
3.    Documents
Part II : Burden and Stand of Proof
4.    burden and standard of Proof
5.    Proof Where Evidence is not Necessary
Part III : Exclusionary Rules and Exceptions
6.    Evidence of Opinion
7.    Character
8.    Hearsay : 1. Hearsay Generally
9.     Hearsay : 2. Confessions
Part IV : Exclusion Through Discretion Privilege or Convention rights
10.    The Discretion to Exclude Evidence
11.    Privilege
12.    Public Interest
13.    Convention Rights
Part V : Identification and Corroboration
14.    Identification
15.    Corroboration and Suspect Evidence
Part IV : Rules Connected with the Trial
16.    Functions of Judge, Jury and Justices
17.    Competence and Compellability of Witnesses
18.    Disclosure
19.    Course of Evidence
20.    Previous Consistent Statements
21.    Examination of Witnesses}
Index
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Author Details
Steven Powles is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers.
Lydia Waine is a barrister at Drystone Chambers and an assistant editor for Archbold e-update and Criminal Law Week.
Radmila May is a legal editor.
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