Subjects:

Criminal Law

Contents:

Contents:
1. Police powers

2. Bail

3. Abolition of High Court jurisdiction

4. Allocation of offences

5. Disclosure

6. Jury trial

7. Trial management

8. Prosecution appeals

9. Retrials

10. Evidence

11. Sentencing

Appendix: The Criminal Justice Act.

Controversial and far-reaching, the new Criminal Justice Act 2003 is one of the most important pieces of criminal legislation ever passed. This comprehensive guide offers a clear explanation as to how the new law will affect current practice. It provides a quick overview of each of the new provisions, followed by a more detailed analysis with reference to appropriate cases and new and existing legislative provisions.

Major proposals contained in the Act include:-

• new charging methods for offences;
• street bail;
• reverse presumptions under the Bail Act for offending while on bail,
• failing to appear and abolition of high court bail;
• overhaul of disclosure provisions;
• retrial for serious offences;
• overhaul of hearsay provisions;
• new definition of bad character and overhaul of admissibility provisions;
• new prosecution appeals mechanism for termination rulings;
• complete overhaul of sentencing, including new regime for dangerous offenders and life prisoners
• introduction of new forms of custody including intermittent custody.