Product Description

Smith & Hogan: Criminal Law is regarded as the leading doctrinal textbook on criminal law in England and Wales and has been for almost 40 years. The legal principles and rules involved in criminal law are often complex and technical. It is essential therefore, that students have a clear and comprehensive account of the law to guide their study. For generations of students Smith & Hogan: Criminal Law has fulfilled that need. It provides a detailed and critical exposition of the general principles of criminal liability and the law of the most important crimes. Its authoritative nature renders it popular with practitioners and leads to its frequent citation by the courts. The book is complimented by an Online Resource Centre providing updates and useful weblinks.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #334817 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1032 pages

Review
"Professor David Ormerod is regarded as the quintessential 'practitioner's academic' for his pragmatism and ability to diffuse his intellectual arguments into sound practical principles." Simon McKay, Solicitor Advocate, Covert Policing Review 2005

"There is no criminal law textbook like it. Its detailed discussion of every offence from necrophilia to bomb hoaxes is without comparison. A student can be confident that if an offence is not dicussed in Smith and Hogan Criminal Law it is not likely to appear in an exam." (Jonathan Herring, Times Higher Education Supplement )

About the Author
David Ormerod is Professor of Criminal Law in the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Leeds and was Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Law at UNiversity College, London in 2004-2005. He is the Cases Editor of the Criminal Law Review, in which he publishes monthly commentaries. He has also published widely on aspects of criminal law, the law of evidence and procedure. He is a Barrister in the Chambers of David Etherington QC, 18 Red Lion Court.

Customer Reviews

Indispensable
This is without doubt THE textbook to own for anyone interested in Criminal Law or studying as part of their LLB. For a complex subject such as Criminal Law, the authors have produced what can only be described as a fascinating read which simplifies all the major and relevant issues. Indispensable and higly recommended!!!!

making criminal law logical
I provided my undergraduate law students with references to three established texts on each topic in Criminal Law and the vast majority told me that Smith and Hogan on Criminal Law by David Ormerod was their preferred text.

It clearly presents what the law is, where it has come from, how leading legal minds criticise it and therefore how it might be better developed in the future. The book guides the reader logically through the elements of offences and defences, allowing the novice to navigate its content with ease while developing a critical mindset.

What places it ahead of other comparable texts is that this logical construction does not signify a sacrific in depth of content. The book is renowned as the authority on criminal law for practitioners and students alike, and rightly retains this status through continuing to provide a solid basis in criminal law for the new student and a reliable and easily navigated reference base for the post grad or seasoned practitioner.

Required reading for all students
Unlike the previous reviewer - Stanley Chia - I am neither a disgruntled ex-student nor someone bearing a grudge against the author of this fantastic textbook. Clearly that reviewer has read this textbook with tinted glasses, albeit not of the rose variety. I am shocked that anyone would do otherwise than laud Professor Ormerod for his stellar work in updating this essential manuscript.

Ormerod has managed to update this textbook without losing the flavour and essence created by his predecessor, John Smith. The book is easy to navigate, and provides useful insights and analysis for readers of all levels. As a Criminal Law teacher in a 5* law department, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all of my students. I would advise its use alongside Smith&Hogan's Cases and Materials for anyone studying law at university.