BOOK REVIEW
BLACKSTONE'S POLICE MANUAL 2012
Volume 2 EVIDENCE AND PROCEDURE
(with online upgrade options)
By David Johnston and Glenn Hutton
Consultant Editor: Paul Connor
In association with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and endorsed for the Objective Structured Performance Related Examination (OSPRE)
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
ISBN: 978 0 19 969605 5
www.oup.com
THE OFFICIAL REFERENCE TEXTS FOR POLICE EXAMS
An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers
This volume on the fundamental area of evidence and procedure is written by David Johnston and Glenn Hutton under the Consultant Editorship of Paul Connor for Blackstone/OUP.
They have come together to produce a manual in four volumes which sets out the leading police reference texts covering the main examination areas: crime; evidence and procedure; road policing; and general police duties. These volumes are official guides for those involved in studying police law and procedure.
In his Foreword, Nick Gargan from NPIA explains the approach of the four volume manuals and makes the point that the police are not like barristers and solicitors who have access to books and the web. Rightly, he asserts that the police frequently make crucial legal decisions with a partial knowledge of the facts- and there is nothing wrong with this because of the nature of the work. Lawyers, of course, we hope are different although quite often a case which appears fully prepared to cover all contingencies, does not, in fact, cater for the physical evidence given in court by live witnesses who can change their stories!
What these manuals achieve is the fulfillment of the police mission: that the public are served by qualified, well-trained and well-led officers and police staff. We would say that these manuals are worth a much wider readership and do cover the needs of serving police officers, trainer, special constables, student law practitioners, advisors and researchers and should be a point of call for any interested in a police career.
What is particularly attractive about these manuals is the fine balance between 'the law', cases and the detailed statutory provisions which are of such significance in today's world of policing. Additionally, the paragraph numbering is helpful and the use of the 'Keynote' which is the sort of thing you would get from a lecturer's comments. The indexes are excellent (in comparison with some legal texts) although they are volume specific so the individual sections standalone covering their own areas of study.
Johnston and Hutton's section on 'Evidence and Procedure' is, in our view, the crucial area of the overall subject and where many feel much more emphasis should be placed in view of the number of difficulties we face in successful court actions. There's also an OUP online service available for a fast, desktop access to the complete text of all four manuals for the busy officer to make this package the most suitable reference and training material currently on the market, and, as they say, good luck with the exams!
