A Practical Approach to Criminal Procedure

Sixteenth Edition

John Sprack and Michael Engelhardt-Sprack

Provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to the main contours of criminal procedure and sentencing
Takes a pragmatic approach to criminal procedure, addressing points likely to arise in day-to-day practice
Features an authoritative description of how courts apply the law
Extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate, lucidly written and clearly set out, with practical checklists, flowcharts, and examples

New to this Edition:

Considers the impact of legislative developments such as the repeal of the Criminal Courts Charge, changes to the funding system, and amendments to the Criminal Procedure Rules
Deals with recent judicial initiatives: the Digital Case System; the promotion of 'virtual courts'; the increasing use of special measures for vulnerable witnesses and defendants; the 'Better Case Management' initiative in the Crown Court; and the 'Transforming Summary Justice' initiative in the Magistrates' Court
Takes into account important appellate cases, including R v Haralambous, R v Davenport and R v Tsekiri among others

A Practical Approach to Criminal Procedure

Sixteenth Edition

John Sprack and Michael Engelhardt-Sprack

Description

Beginning with an explanation of procedure prior to the accused appearing in court, this straightforward and practical guide works through the way in which prosecutions are commenced and the process around funding by the criminal defence service and bail. It then moves on to describe proceedings in the magistrates' court, including summary trial and committal for sentence, as well as the way in which the youth court operates. Finally, the process by which serious offences are sent direct to the Crown Court; trial on indictment; and sentencing and appeals are all examined in detail.

Fully updated to incorporate recent developments in the field, this new edition examines the impact of legislative developments, such as the repeal of the Criminal Courts Charge, changes to the funding system, and amendments to the Criminal Procedure Rules. Recent judicial initiatives and important new case law are also covered.

Very much a practical guide, this title makes frequent use of examples, flowcharts, and tables, and is specifically designed to assist the busy professional and student. A Practical Approach to Criminal Procedure is an indispensable resource for those working in this field.

The A Practical Approach series is the perfect partner for practice work. Each title focuses on one field of the law and provides a comprehensive overview of the subject together with clear, practical advice and tips on issues likely to arise in practice. The books are also an excellent resource for those new to the law, where the expert overview and clear layout promote ease of understanding.

A Practical Approach to Criminal Procedure

Sixteenth Edition

John Sprack and Michael Engelhardt-Sprack

Part I Introduction
1:Setting the Scene
2:The Role of the Criminal Procedure Roles
3:Preliminaries to Court Appearance
4:Prosecutors
5:The Decision to Prosecute
Part II The Magistrates Court
6:Magistrates and their Courts
7:Bail and Remands
8:Mode of Trial
9:Disclosure
10:Course of a Summary Trial
11:Trial of Juveniles
12:Committal for Sentence
13:Sending Cases to the Crown Court
Part III Trial on Indictment
14:The Crown Court
15:The Indictment
16:Pre-Trial Proceedings
17:Pleas
18:The Jury
19:Judge-Only Trials
20:The Course of the Trial
21:The Verdict
Part IV Sentencing
22:Procedure Before Sentencing
23:Determining the Sentence
24:Custodial Sentences
25:Sentences other than Custody
Part V Appeals and Ancillary Matters
26:Appeals from the Crown Court
27:Appeals from the Magistrates' Courts
28:Ancillary Financial Matters
29:Your Practice
Appendices
1:Deciding the Mode of Trial
2:Trial Procedure in Outline

A Practical Approach to Criminal Procedure

Sixteenth Edition

John Sprack and Michael Engelhardt-Sprack

Author Information

John Sprack, Barrister, formerly Reader, Inns of Court Law School, and Michael Engelhardt-Sprack, Barrister, 1 M.C.B

John Sprack practiced for a number of years as a barrister in the criminal courts. He taught Criminal Litigation at the Inns of Court School of Law (now City Law School) for 11 years, and was Director of its Bar Vocational Course and of the LLM in Criminal Litigation. He was one of the founding authors of Blackstone's Criminal Practice and now provides Continuous Professional Development courses for practicing lawyers in Advocacy and Employment Law. He was an Employment judge for 15 years.

Michael Engelhardt-Sprack has a busy practice, specialising in criminal defence, employment and housing law, and has been at tenant at 1M.C.B since 2017. He has appeared in the Crown Court and the Magistrates' Court on a range of matters, including violent and sexual offences, offences involving weapons, drugs, fraud, dishonesty and driving. He has also advised and acted in appeals against conviction.