ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences, prisoners’ human rights and closes with an examination of the issues faced by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. It examines how legal assistance at the police station has been impacted during the national lockdown, which started in March 2020. The book focuses on decision making in the criminal trial and in particular focuses on the role of the jury, which has been well established to reflect an essential part of democracy in many jurisdictions. It offers a comparative approach and highlights some of the most worrying issues occurring in jury decision-making contexts. The book suggests that a number of aspects of criminal court procedure in the English and Welsh justice system are undergoing radical alteration that produce a different side to court justice administration.
