December 2015 – The Student Law Journal

**Core Text: Evidence** by *Roderick Munday*
**Publisher:** Oxford University Press
**Edition:** 8th Edition (May 2015)
**ISBN:** 978-0-19-873349-2
**Price:** *£32.99*

Now a long-standing text on evidence, and from Oxford University Press’ excellent Core Text Series, Roderick Munday’s Evidence aims to offer students a succinct yet thought-provoking introduction to all of the key areas covered on law of evidence courses. It has been thoroughly updated since the last edition to consider a number of important cases including Mitchell v News Group Newspapers Limited [2014] EWHC 3590 (QB) and R v Dixon [2014] 1 WLR 525. These updates, along with many others, have led to seamless re-writing of this latest edition of Evidence.

Written by Dr Roderick Munday, Evidence is split into twelve chapters: relevance and admissibility of evidence; presumptions and the burden of proof; witnesses: competence, compellability and various privileges; the course of the trial; witnesses’ previous inconsistent statements and the remnants of the rule against narrative; character and credibility; evidence of the defendant’s bad character; the opinion rule and the presentation of expert evidence; the rule against hearsay; confessions; drawing adverse inferences from a defendant’s omissions, lies, or false alibis; identification evidence.

Munday’s Evidence is primarily written for criminal evidence courses; this necessarily dictates the topics it covers. For example, there is a fascinating point for civil practitioners on the reserved burden of proof in some statutory provisions like the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Consumer Credit Act 1974. However, this is not dealt with in Evidence. What is covered, however, are the key topics covered on many undergraduate evidence courses. This includes an excellent analysis of topics like failing to give evidence at trial. Evidence is also written in a clear and accessible way; this is some achievement for this ever evolving and fast-moving area of law.

If you are looking for an introductory text on the law of evidence, Munday’s Evidence certainly provides this. It also comes with an Online Resource Centre (available from: http://global.oup.com/uk/orc/law/evidence/munday8e/) which, by the time of this review, has a number of useful weblinks and two updates (which is impressive). Its price, however, may be just too much for many students looking for an introductory text (and it is one of the most expensive texts from Oxford University Press’ Core Text Series). For those who do buy a copy of Munday’s Evidence, they will find it provides an accessible and clear account of the law of evidence.

Reviewed on 28 December 2015

**Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law 2015-2016** by Francis Rose
**Publisher:** Oxford University Press
**Edition:** 24th Edition (August 2015)
**ISBN:** 978-0-198-73600-4
**Price:** *£16.99*

It has been over fifteen years since I first started to use Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law. Since using an edition back in the late 1990s, it has grown in size (consistent with the increase in statutory provisions on commercial and consumer law). However, some things have remained unchanged. These include the editor, Francis Rose, who continues to expertly select just the right amount of material for students and busy practitioners. It also includes the clear and up to date layout. If you are studying commercial or consumer law, or a practising lawyer, Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law 2015-2016 is a text for you.

Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law 2015-2016 is split into four parts: statutes; statutory instruments; EU materials; and codes. Each part includes a vast selection of material. For example, the first part on statutes includes extracts from the following Acts: the Factors Act 1889, the Hire-Purchase Act 1964, the Misrepresentation Act 1967, the Supply of Goods (Implied Terms) Act 1973, the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the Companies Act 2006 and (importantly) the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The second part on statutory instruments includes: the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, the Payment Services Regulations 2009 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

The impressive feature of Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law 2015-2016 is the breadth of material it covers. There is, to be fair to Professor Rose, enough material on either commercial law or consumer law alone to occupy its own Statute Book. However, Professor Rose has managed to select just the right amount of material for everyday use. While there will be times when the reader has to consult the full legislative provision, Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law 2015-2016 includes most of the key provisions. This is some accomplishment in a fast moving areas of law like commercial or consumer law.

If you are looking for a text containing all of the key relevant provisions on commercial and consumer law, you should look no further than Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law 2015-2016. At just under £17, it also provides excellent value for money. The layout is clear and crisp; exactly what is needed when you are in exam conditions or at Court being asked direct questions by a judge. If you have any interest in consumer or commercial law, Blackstone’s Statutes on Commercial & Consumer Law 2015-2016 will form a valuable part of your personal library.

Reviewed on 24 December 2015