Archbold Magistrates' Courts Criminal Practice 2020

Archbold Magistrates’ Courts Criminal Practice is aimed at solicitors and key government institutions within the criminal justice sector. The work is designed to be an authoritative and comprehensive text dealing with practice, procedures, and law pertinent to the magistrates’ courts.

It is essential to all those involved in making the system effective: practitioners prosecuting or defending, authorities, magistrates and those responsible for advising them in the administration of the courts. It is portable and usable as a stand-alone reference in magistrates’ court proceedings.

The forthcoming edition includes the following:-

• Brand new chapter on Civil Preventive Orders
• A significantly revised chapter on Appeals providing detailed coverage of all levels of appeal from decisions of magistrates’ courts
• New legislation, including the Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Act 2018, Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, and the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019.
• Latest Criminal Procedure Rules and Criminal Practice Directions
• Sentencing Council Definitive Guideline on sentencing child cruelty
• Eighth edition of the Code for Crown Prosecutors
• New provisions in CPD VI Trial 24C about adjournments of trials in magistrates' courts
• Consideration of the case of Valiati v DPP, which re-examines the admissibility of answers to questions in the Preparation for Effective Trial Form
• Provisions in the Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2019 about “small unmanned vehicles” (drones)
• Recent cases about criminal offences frequently encountered in magistrates’ and youth court practice, including Dixon v. CPS and Rawlins v. CPS (on assaults of constables in execution of duty), Pendlebury v DPP (on stalking) and R v Cheeseman (on householder self-defence).

Key features:

• Extensive coverage of the criminal and quasi-criminal jurisdiction of magistrates' and youth courts
• Encompasses preliminary matters, including criminal investigations, commencement of proceedings, bail, allocation and sending
• Detailed coverage of summary trial procedure and practice, including pre-trial issues and preparation, the course of the trial, witnesses and the rules of evidence.
• Detailed coverage of the sentencing powers of magistrates’ and youth courts
• Practical guidance on substantive law, showing elements of offences, available defences and relevant sentencing considerations
• Specific coverage of youth courts, with detailed guidance on jurisdiction, bail and sentencing
• Practical guidance on powers and procedures in respect of mentally disordered defendants and offenders
• Detailed coverage of the powers of magistrates’ and youth courts to make awards as to costs
• Comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the enforcement of confiscation orders and the civil detention, freezing and forfeiture powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
• Full citation of statutory provisions and case law which can be cited in court
• Contains updated sentencing council guidelines, criminal procedure rules and criminal practice directions for ease of reference
• Ensures portability with a one-volume format, ideal for court use