Understandings – serie

A complete understanding of criminal law is essential to pass the A2 in law, and this book provides that – for the first time linking all the elements of criminal law together to form a coherent whole. Written by two practising teachers, the book is accessible and user-friendly, featuring summary boxes and tables, clear introductions and references to key cases, as well as study skills and sample examination questions.The book provides a complete overview of criminal law and skilfully links all the elements together. It stresses the practical application of modern criminal law as it is currently used in the English judicial system and establishes the key roles of prosecution, the Crown Prosecution Service, the defence and the judiciary. It goes on to examine how the prosecution build up a case, looking in depth at the offences of murder and manslaughter and how they interrelate, and examining theft, assault and regulatory offences in detail, before looking at the role and nature of the defence. A vitally important final chapter concentrates on study skills relevant to criminal law, including note-taking, file organisation, essay and problem questions, revision strategy and the use of legal sources.

Understanding US/UK government and politics is written specifically for A2 students and covers the comparative dimension of advanced level study. It closely follows the syllabuses of the main examination boards, is car and accessible in style, and offers invaluable insights into the similarities and differences between British and American politics.The book examines the setting against which government and politics operates in the two countries, explores the concept of political culture and examines the underlying ideas and values of British and American people, before considering the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government in detail. Political parties, the media and elections, pressure groups and voting are all extensively covered, with some concluding thoughts on the current condition of democracy in Britain and the United States.This new edition has been updated to take account of all the changes that have taken place in British and American politics since the first edition was published, including the escalation of the War on Terror, the specific terrorist threats carried out in the UK, and the underwhelming re-election of George W Bush and Tony Blair.