Length:: 3:33 Mins



A SPECIAL JURISDICTION FOR SPECIAL MATTERS

An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers

Make no mistake, this is a difficult area of law for most practitioners and so we welcome this new title as a detailed statement of mental health law when defending mentally disordered people so well explained by New Zealand barrister Kris Gledhill in this new and needed work for defence lawyers.

Gledhill's aim has been to try to write a text that added to what is already available in this field. He has set out the law comprehensively and he has also provided a valuable series of insights into the arguments over where the law could be developed further through the appellate process (although he does apologize for the length of the book at just under 800 pages- no apology needed!)

The Legal Action Group (LAG) are, as ever, a reliable and knowledgeable publisher with titles of great assistance to those acting for the Defence and this book is no exception. It offers literally a wealth of plain, practical advice which should save you a lot of time and money in the event of representation in these special matters. And it should certainly steer you in the direction of the type of questions you need to consider for your client's defence.

Usefully, the book also contains ample resources for additional research including tables of cases, statutes and statutory instruments as well as an excellent list of abbreviations and detailed index. The contents list at the front of the book facilitates looking things up when you're in a hurry.

By setting out the civil and criminal legal framework, largely governed by the mental health legislation, and the interaction of UK legislation with the European Convention on Human Rights, defence advocates are very well catered for. We found coverage of all aspects of the legal process from initial contact with the client through to procedure and evidence extremely helpful.

There are six parts to the book starting with introductory matters and running through pre-court matters, procedure and evidence and the substantive criminal law interface with mental disorder, and finally a review of sentencing and post-sentencing matters.

The footnotes are, in the main, of use for further research into particular cases, so it is very much a detailed statement for a special jurisdiction dealing with special clients in a most sensitive and informative way... and it is very well done, too!