The Criminal Advocate's Survival Guide [Hardcover]

"This is a strange little book and one that you might easily miss. DO NOT MISS IT - this is my favourite book of 2007 and it costs under a tenner. In essence it is like having a wise mentor at your fingertips, offering valuable advice wrapped up in humour. Those new to this strange world of criminal law will find it invaluable, those slightly longer in the tooth highly amusing; I didn't stop laughing for a full 2 hours reading it. Quite unique, very readable. Buy it." --Andrew Keogh, crimeline.info

Advocacy is like lion taming. There are well-meaning books on how to do it, but there is no substitute for going in among the lions. Every day someone gets eaten. Every day some unfortunate solicitor or barrister is berated by a judge in court and made to look small. In this book Jan Davies provides invaluable tips for those setting out on a career as a criminal advocate, whether as a barrister or as a solicitor with rights of audience. Using her own 20 years experience, she provides practical advice on: - court etiquette and convention - how to stay on the right side of the legal aid process - dealing with the CPS and police - ways to ask for an adjournement - the Dos and Don ts of bail applications - plea before venue and committal - ethical issues - preparing for trial in the Crown Court - trial strategy and tactics - sentencing With supplementary sections on Bad Character applications and Hearsay provisions, and predictions about the future of criminal advocacy, this is an invaluable survival guide for criminal advocates.

Advocacy is like lion taming. There are well-meaning books on how to do it, but there is no substitute for going in among the lions. Every day someone gets eaten. Every day some unfortunate solicitor or barrister is berated by a judge in court and made to look small.
In this book Jan Davies provides invaluable tips for those setting out on a career as a criminal advocate, whether as a barrister or as a solicitor with rights of audience. Using her own 20 years experience, she provides practical advice on:

- court etiquette and convention
- how to stay on the right side of the legal aid process
- dealing with the CPS and police
- ways to ask for an adjournement
- the Dos and Don'ts of bail applications
- plea before venue and committal
- ethical issues
- preparing for trial in the Crown Court
- trial strategy and tactics
- sentencing

With supplementary sections on Bad Character applications and Hearsay provisions, and predictions about the future of criminal advocacy, this is an invaluable survival guide for criminal advocates.

Jan Davies has been engaged in criminal advocacy for over 20 years. From 2001-2007 she was a senior crown prosecutor at CPS Abingdon. She currently practises in both magistrates and crown courts, mainly instructed by members of Reading Solicitors Chambers.