ABSTRACT

Evidence: Law and Context explains the key concepts of evidence law in England and Wales clearly and concisely, set against the backdrop of the broader political and theoretical contexts. The book focuses on the essential topics commonly found on Evidence courses covering both criminal evidence and civil evidence. It takes a contextual approach discussing how wider policy debates and societal trends have impacted upon the recent evolution of the law in order to provide students with an explanation as to how and why the law has developed.

The fifth edition has been revised to include: coverage of R v Hunter 2015 and its impact on good character evidence; developments in procedures relating to young and vulnerable witnesses; and more in-depth coverage of key cases.

Learning points summarise the major principles and rules covered and practical examples are used throughout the text to give better understanding as to how the technical rules are applied in practice. Self-test questions are included in the book, helping students to test their understanding and prepare for assessment.

Well written, clear and with a logical structure throughout, it contains all the information necessary for any undergraduate evidence law module.

chapter 1|20 pages

Introduction

Basic Concepts

chapter 2|26 pages

The Adversarial Trial

chapter 3|31 pages

The Burden and Standard of Proof

chapter 4|16 pages

Witnesses I

Competency, Compellability and Oath Taking

chapter 5|39 pages

Witnesses II

Vulnerable Witnesses

chapter 6|43 pages

Witnesses III

Examination and Cross-examination

chapter 8|41 pages

Confession Evidence

chapter 9|26 pages

Improperly Obtained Evidence

chapter 10|16 pages

Suspect Evidence

Corroboration and Identification

chapter 11|59 pages

Character Evidence

chapter 12|50 pages

Hearsay Evidence

chapter 13|26 pages

Opinion Evidence

chapter 14|41 pages

Public Interest Immunity