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BOOK REVIEW

BLACKSTONE'S GUIDE TO THE CORONERS AND JUSTICE ACT 2009
Includes a copy of the Act

By Jonathan Glasson and Julian B Knowles

ISBN: 978-0-19-957958-7

www.oup.com/uk/law


DEFINING A "RAMSHACKLED, HUGE STATUTE" WITH EXPERT GUIDANCE FROM BLACKSTONES/OUP

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

There used to be a programme on children's television called 'Rag, Tag and Bobtail' about a family of bunnies. If one could expand the illusion in the names to our Parliamentarians without unjust lack of flattery, the confusion which is 'The Coroners and Justice Act 2009' -- yet another annual form of CJA (will the government never learn!) -- really covers both the rag, the tag and the bobtail of this complex piece of drafting which has given us significant and long-awaited changes... but at a cost of trying to understand the multi-tasking approach of this legislation. Thankfully, Jonathan Glasson and Julian B Knowles are at hand to help out.

Most practitioners find these Blackstone guides invaluable for their advice because they deliver concise and accessible commentaries on the latest legislative reforms, changes and amendments to statute law for occasions such as this one with this Act.

The publishers, OUP, have identified what we, as the practitioners and advisers, need- namely publications soon after the legislative enactments with serious and experienced expert analysis by leading lawyers on the scope, extent and effects of the statutes.

In addition, the Blackstone Guides Series is always cost-effective giving us a copy of the Act plus key information needs quickly to act as the perfect companion for our main practitioner works to give us a unique additional updating service to compliment formal updates which often lack the depth we require without time-consuming legal research.

Glasson and Knowles explain here how the Act introduces diverse elements of law in one statute. The success of their mission lies in the expert narrative explaining the scope and impact of the statute together with its civil liberties implications.

We liked the way in which the provisions are presented in a straightforward layout which is helpful for the busy advocate as an excellent and quick reference tool which is so well organized.

Irwin J gives, as an example from his Ulster youth, the Grocer's Van arriving with its multitude of contents, hence the description of the Act as "ramshackled" and "huge" although it is pointed out, quite fairly, that there is plenty of competition elsewhere! Therefore, as Irwin J says, "the Guide is admirably clear, but the legislation is not always so" being possibly enacted for immediate political ends which seems to be the history of previous CJAs.

The Guide addresses the 3 concerns about the legislation: additional professional burdens; the impulse to be populist bypassing scrutiny; and excessive rigidity and complexity of the statute. We agree that the book is first rate as the authors guide us around the "cave" with well-organised elegance and clarity in just over 400 pages.

A touching and generous decision by the authors to donate the royalties to INQUEST is to be strongly admired for the problems we all face currently fiscally. Money for free advice to bereaved people on contentious deaths will probably be what this book will be remembered for as, we are convinced, further yearly intrusions into CJA matters will abound, irrespective of the party running the UK in the conceivable future!