Sentencing and Criminal Justice

Description

This revised and updated new edition focuses on major developments in sentencing law, practice and theory. Sentencing in England and Wales is now dominated by Sentencing Council guidelines, and scrutiny of those guidelines is central to this book. Issues of principle are identified and discussed, to include the constitutional position of the Sentencing Council; the meaning of, and challenges to, proportionality; and the sentencing of BAME offenders and women offenders. The book welcomes the new Sentencing Code, introduced as the Sentencing Act 2020, and critically examines the government's plans for sentencing reform, set out in the 2020 White Paper A Smarter Approach to Sentencing. Throughout the book, sentencing is explored in its wider criminal justice context - making it essential reading for courses on sentencing, criminal justice and criminal law.

Andrew Ashworth is Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Rory Kelly is Lecturer in Criminal Evidence and Criminal Law at UCL Faculty of Laws, United Kingdom.

This book is the best introduction to the English sentencing system for undergraduate and postgraduate students, but it also provides a scholarly analysis of the issues which is of great use to academic researchers (and, indeed, to practitioners and the courts). In particular, the analysis of guidelines, case law and recent academic writing on sentencing theory, law and practice is second to none. The book is clearly written, and extensive references are provided throughout. The authoritative nature of this book, and its value for practitioners in common law jurisdictions outside of England and Wales, is demonstrated by the fact that previous editions of the book have been cited with approval on several occasions by the High Court of Justiciary on Appeal in Scotland. The seventh edition continues this exceptional level of scholarship. -- Dr Graeme Brown * Durham University * Absolutely superb. The additions made including the updates for the Sentencing Code ensure this is the leading text on the market. The commentary and wide range of sources provide a level of analysis that is not matched elsewhere. -- Dr Lyndon Harris * King's College London * An accessible and thought-provoking text which provides expert commentary on a fast-paced area of the law. -- Gary Betts * Coventry University * This is a comprehensive and detailed book that is well structured and student-friendly. -- David Palmer * University of Northampton * Sentencing and Criminal Justice is my go-to text for teaching students about sentencing law and practice...The focus of this book on principles and the wider social and political context of sentencing law and practice makes it an excellent source of both commentary and recommendations for further reading and research. The updated text and commentary is excellent, and I will be recommending the new edition to my students. -- Ailbhe O'Loughlin * University of York * This is an excellent resource, particularly on sentencing law...Students will find the detail and well written critical analysis very assistive to their understandings of complex criminal justice and the theory and applications of sentencing law. -- Max Lowenstein * Bournemouth University *