Criminal Law and Procedure

Law collections: special collections from Cornell University Law Library

The special collections page of the Cornell University Law Library website makes available a number of digitised collections, as well as information on special print collections. The digitised material is arranged in four discrete collections: the collections of Liberian Law; the Donovan Nuremberg Trials collection; the Scottsboro Trials collection; the Trial Pamphlets collection. Each of the digitised collections is searchable by full-text, title, author, publisher, publication date and subject. Filters make it possible to browse the collections.

National Crime Agency

Website of the National Crime Agency (NCA), an operational crime-fighting agency which investigates serious and organised crime in the UK. The site gives information on the work of the NCA and the type of crimes they investigate including cyber crime, fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal firearms and child sexual abuse. Statistics, suspicious activity reports and other publications are also available on the site.

Sentencing Law and Policy

This blog is concerned with United States sentencing law and policy and is written by Professor Douglas A. Berman of the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University. The blog has been running since 2004 and posts cover issues such as sentencing guidelines, sentencing reform, sentencing data and state sentencing guidelines. There are also posts focusing on specific cases and aspects of policy such as gun policy and sentencing. Previous posts can be browsed by date or topic or searched by keyword. Links are given to other US law and justice websites and other criminal law blogs.

Stonewall: Criminal Law

This page forms part of the guidance provided by gay and lesbian civil rights group, Stonewall, on their website. This section focuses on aspects of criminal law that affect LGBT people. There is advice on the Sexual Offences Act 2003, domestic violence, forced marriage and information on how to disregard a conviction or caution for gross indecency.

Public Defender Service

The Public Defender Service (PDS) is a department of the Legal Aid Agency providing a range of criminal defence services including advice and representation at the police station or magistrates court through to advocacy in the higher courts. The PDS was established in 2001 as the first salaried criminal defence service in England and Wales and provides legal aided defence representation in all types of criminal cases.

National Police Chiefs’ Council

Website of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) the body representing police chief officers in the UK and with responsibility for co-ordinating national policing operations and the national police response to national emergencies. The NPCC replaced the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in 2015. The site has information about the work and structure of the NPCC and details of its finances, policies and procedures. Details and links to the national policing units and bodies that operate across the UK are also given.

Modernisering Wetboek van Strafvordering

This section of the Dutch government website covers the reform of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Wetboek van Strafvordering), a major project that began in 2014. An overview of the reform process is given and a collection of documents is provided, including drafts of parts of the new code, explanatory memoranda, consultation documents and discussion papers. There is also a News page. All the information on the site is in Dutch only.

Court of Appeal Criminal Division

Website of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. This court hears appeals from Crown Court cases including convictions and sentences given by the Crown Court. It also hears appeals against decisions made by ‘service courts’ (military courts). There is guidance on how to make an appeal and for counsel and solicitor advocates on using the Court of Appeal for criminal appeals. The site also has forms, Criminal Procedure Rules and a link to decisions on the Bailii website.

DNA evidence: brave new world, same old problems

Online guide to the use of DNA evidence in United States law. The guide was written by Ken Strutin, who is Director of Legal Information Services at the New York State Defenders Association, and was published in October 2013 on LLRX.com. There is commentary on and links to books, individual chapters, law review articles, reports, standards and scientific articles focusing on the “role of DNA in identification, investigation and prosecution of crime, social and privacy issues, and to some degree exculpation or evidence of third party culpability”.

Calculating Justice: Mathematics and Criminal Law

Online guide looking at the importance of maths in the administration of justice such as the role of statistics and probability in forensic evidence or eyewitness statements. The guide was written by Ken Strutin, who is Director of Legal Information Services at the New York State Defenders Association, and was published in December 2013 on LLRX.com. The guide gives commentary on and links to United States cases, legal articles and books. Not all of the resources linked to are freely available.

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