Subjects:

Criminology

Contents:

Print On Demand

Police investigative procedures: researching the impact of PACE - Clive Coleman, David Dixon, Keith Bottomley

the right to legal advice - Andrew Sanders, Lee Bridges

the right to silence, Fiona McElree, Keir Starmer

forensic evidence, Russell Stockdale, Clive Walker

prosecution disclosure - principle, practice and justice, Patrick O'Connor

trial procedures, John Jackson

post-conviction procedures, Michael Mansfield, Nicholas Taylor

the prevention of Terrorism Acts, Brice

Dickson

miscarriages of justice in the Republic of Ireland, Dermot Walsh, the French pre-trial system, John Bell.

Recent years have seen the release from prison of the Guildford Four, the Birmingham Six and Tottenham Three. The Maguire Seven have now been cleared of all charges, and the discredited West Midlands Crime Squad have now been disbanded. Each of these events has highlighted serious failures in the criminal justice system which have contributed to miscarriages of justice.

Amongst the many disturbing features are the obtaining of confessions by unacceptable means;the fabrication of evidence;the failure to disclose evidence adverse to the prosecution and the inadequacy of appeal and reference-back systems.;This book examines the various steps within the criminal justice system which have resulted in the conviction of the innocent, and remedies as to how miscarriages might be avoided in the future are suggested.

The contributors comprise academics, campaigners and practitioners, some of whom have been involved in the cases mentioned.