Fine Lines and Distinctions

Professor Terence Morris and Louis Blom-Cooper are two of the UK's leading experts on the law of homicide, having studied developments together for over 50 years. This has led them to recognise the extent of disquiet, especially following 'particularly troubling cases' and to conclude that the law of homicide in England and Wales is 'an unsatisfactory law enveloped in a political fix' (see Chapter 8). Their suggestion of a replacement single offence of criminal homicide coupled with abolition of the mandatory life sentence for murder in favour of discretion at the sentencing stage demands close study by judges, lawyers, legislators, academics, penal reformers and anyone who senses that something is seriously amiss. Further biographical details appear inside the book.

• Prologue 1. A Jacobean Legacy: The Creativity Of Coke 2. The Wisdom Of Mr Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr 3. The Law Of Homicide 4. Secondary Liability In Homicide 5. Fiats, Fords And Foresight: Excursions To The House Of Lords From Woolmington To Smith 6. A Tale Of Two Amendments: Or One Fixed Penalty For Another 7. Hunting The Chimara 8. Clearing Up The Mess: Or The Law Commission Attempts To Make Bricks Without Straw 9. Homicide On The Road 10. Corporations In The Dock 11. Familial Homicide 12. Expert Evidence On Trial 13. A Matter For The Jury 14. The Appellate Process: Equality Of Arms 15. What And How Long Is 'Life'? 16. Sentencing Adrift And Parole 17. Envoi Appendices Index

'This is no dry legal tome. The authors present their case in a bracing, persuasive and highly readable way... This is an important and stimulating work that should engage not just the legal practitioner, politician or law student but anyone concerned with our justice system or puzzled by the conduct and outcome of a murder trial': guardian.co.uk. 'With what some would regard as huge optimism, the authors hope that the validity of their analysis of the problems will be acknowledged and the complexities surrounding the law of homicide addressed and resolved - [their] ideas will undoubtedly stimulate and contribute to the continuing public debate about the nature and ingredients of the crime of homicide, the defences to it, and the appropriate punishment for those convicted of unlawful killings': Lord Judge, Lord Chief Justice (From the Foreword).