Providing practical guidance on what remains the single most important statutory basis for police duties and powers in England and Wales - the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and its Codes of Practice - this is an essential reference source which the busy police officer or legal practitioner cannot afford to be without. The fifth edition includes all amendments to the Codes of Practice since the last edition, as well as the full text of the Act and Codes of Practice. Explanatory chapters have been updated in line with legislative changes, including the wide-ranging effect of the Policing and Crime Act 2017. With the aid of checklists, flow-charts, and illustrative examples, this book gives excellent guidance on how the procedures and requirements of the Act apply to common, everyday scenarios facing police officers, as well as other persons charged with the investigation of offences. The book forms part of the Blackstone's Practical Policing Series. The series, aimed at all operational officers, consists of practical guides containing clear and detailed explanations of the relevant legislation and practice, accompanied by case studies, illustrative diagrams, and useful checklists.

Over the last 25 years there has been a growing recognition that the way in which cases involving the vulnerable are investigated, charged and tried needs to change. Successive judgments of the Court of Appeal have re-enforced the message that advocates and judges have a duty to ensure vulnerable witnesses and defendants are treated fairly and allowed to participate effectively in the process. How do practitioners recognise who is or may be vulnerable? How should that person be interviewed? What account should police and the CPS take of a defendant's vulnerabilities? How should advocates adjust their questioning of vulnerable witnesses and defendants whilst still complying with their duties to their client? How should judges manage a trial to ensure the effective participation of vulnerable witnesses and defendants? Vulnerable People and the Criminal Justice System, written by leading experts in the field, gathers together for the first time answers to these questions and many more. It provides a practical, informative and thought-provoking guide to recognising, assessing and responding to vulnerability in witnesses and defendants at each stage of the criminal process. Backed by authoritative research and first-hand experience and drawing on recent case law, this book enables practitioners to deal with cases involving vulnerable people with calmness, authority, and confidence.