Emmins on Sentencing

Sentencing is one of the fastest moving areas of law, with frequent legislative changes and hundreds of reported appellate decisions each year. The fourth edition of "Emmins on Sentencing" provides the most comprehensive coverage of modern sentencing law currently available. It offers a clear and authoritative guide to the sentences which are available to the courts and describes the powers of sentencing which can be used and how they are likely to be exercised in practice by the Crown Court or magistrates' courts.;Since the last edition much of sentencing law has been consolidated in the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000, and "Emmins on Sentencing" has been completely rewritten to take account of all these changes. This edition also deals with important reforms in the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, including the introduction of exclusion orders, disqualification orders and drug abstinence orders. Numerous appellate decisions are explained and discussed in context, such as the developing case law on automatic life sentences, extended sentences, detention and training orders, victim impact evidence, and a range of new sentencing guideline decisions including drug offences, racially aggravated offences and handling stolen goods. The impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on sentencing is explained, including the ramifications of Thompson and Venables v UK . The new Magistrates' Association Guidelines are also set out.

Martin Wasik is a barrister and Professor of Criminal Justice at Keele University. He specialises in sentencing law and since 1999 has been chairman of the Sentencing Advisory Panel, an independent advisory body set up under statute to assist the Court of Appeal in the framing and revision of sentencing guidelines. He is also one of the authors of Blackstones Criminal Practice.