The Criminal Advocate's Survival Guide

Advocacy is like lion taming. There are well-meaning books on how to do it, but there is no substitute for going in among the lions. Every day someone gets eaten. Every day some unfortunate solicitor or barrister is berated by a judge in court and made to look small.

In this book Jan Davies provides invaluable tips for those setting out on a career as a criminal advocate, whether as a barrister or as a solicitor with rights of audience. Using her own 20 years experience, she provides practical advice on:-

• court etiquette and convention
• how to stay on the right side of the legal aid process
• dealing with the CPS and police
• ways to ask for an adjournement
• the Dos and Don’ts of bail applications
• plea before venue and committal
• ethical issues
• preparing for trial in the Crown Court
• trial strategy and tactics
• sentencing

With supplementary sections on Bad Character applications and Hearsay provisions, and predictions about the future of criminal advocacy, this is an invaluable survival guide for criminal advocates.