Criminal Law Directions

Oxford University Press understands the need for current coverage in law courses and strives to provide lecturers and students with the most up to date information to support teaching and learning.Criminal Law Directions, Eighth Edition, is now available as a 2026 digital-only update that incorporates essential new content to reflect the current state of the field. Ahead of the Autumn 2026 term, the digital version of this text has been updated to include coverage of recent landmark cases.An accessible and highly readable guide to criminal law, offering contextual knowledge, details of key cases, and supportive critical evaluation of the law.Key FeaturesThe Directions series has been written with students in mind. As they approach the subject for the first time, this book will help them:-Gain balanced understanding of the topic: the right amount f detail conveyed clearly-Understand the law in context: with scene-setting introductions and highlighted case extracts the practical importance of the law becomes clear-Identify when and how to critically evaluate the law: the key areas of debate are set out, with support to confidently question the law-Direct and consolidate knowledge: self-testing features aid uderstanding and help students tackle assessments with confidence-Elevate learning: inspiring students to take their learning to the next level, the author provides direction on going furtherAlso available as an e-book with functionality, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning supportNew to the digital-only update· Digital update 2026: R v BCZ [2025] EWCA Crim 1465 on the meaning of wilful in the mens rea required for child cruelty;· Digital update 2026: R v Cheng [2024] EWCA Crim 1400 on sufficiency of evidence in loss of control; · Digital update 2026: R v Bah (Ibrahima) [2024] EWCA Crim 1499 on causation in gross negligence manslaughter; · Digital update 2026: R v Hobday [2025] EWCA Crim 46 on consent and the non-fatal offences against the person; · Digital update 2026: R v BVA [2025] EWCA Crim 1359 on deception and consent in sexual offences; · Digital update 2026: R v Thompson [2024] EWCA Crim 1146 on sexual under s.78; · Digital update 2026: R v Gower [2025] Crim LR 220 on non-insane automatism. · Digital update 2026: New academic papers and books of note include: Herring, J. and McCormack, S. Reframing rape: from consent to responsibility [2025] 1(2) Gender and Justice 248-267. and Monaghan, N. A Sad Case of Manslaughter: Gross Negligence Manslaughter Where the Deceased is Engaged in Criminal Activity and the Parties are Acting in Concert R v Ibrahima Bah [2024] EWCA Crim 1499 (2025) 89(3) JCL 174-179. Digital formats and resourcesCriminal Law Directions is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats; the e-book and Law Trove offer a mobile experience and convenient access along with self-test questions with instant feedback, guidance on answering the end of chapter questions, flashcard glossary, web links, figures and tables from the book, functionality tools, navigation features and links that offer extra learning support. For more information about e-books, please visit www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooks.