CRIMINAL LAW

Unlocking Criminal Law - A Critical Analysis of the Book

Abstract

There are various elements covered in a law degree. Of all the laws, one of the interesting and dynamic is the criminal law. The book Unlocking Criminal Law penned by Jacqueline Martin. The book is particularly commendable for the unique approach it uses. The book has been designed with the objective of making the subject more accessible to students. This book has been written especially for student who are embarking on their journey to criminal law for the first time. The book is very different from the other academic books in the subject in that it is not so prose dense. Instead the author has focussed on making the material interactive.

The paper summarizes the book as well as provides an analysis on the various topics covered in the book. In addition, since some of the crimes covered under criminal law pertain only to women, the paper presents a feminist critique of the book.

Unlocking Criminal Law - A Critical Analysis of the Book

Introduction

There are various elements covered in a law degree. Of all the laws, one of the interesting and dynamic is the criminal law. The book Unlocking Criminal Law penned by Jacqueline Martin. The book is particularly commendable for the unique approach it uses. The book has been designed with the objective of making the subject more accessible to students. This was needed because some students do not have access to some of the most important sources of data on criminal law. The book is unlike the rest of the books on the subject (Anthony, 2002, p. 91). Unlike other books which are quite dry, the author has tried to make this read interesting for students. She does this through inclusion of various engaging activities, diagrams, important features, eye opener statistics, and division of subject matter into clear headings and subheadings. This division of content is particularly useful in that it has been found to facilitate the understanding and learning of concepts to a great deal (Chen, 2003, p. 341).

The author holds that the purpose of the book is not only to understand the concepts, but to make students understand concepts in a manner that they are also able to apply it in their practical lives. Without this utility, there is no point of education. The book has an excellent transition to its subject matter whereby the reader goes from one topic to another without any confusion (Griew, 1974, p. 21). This gives the reader the confidence that he can make linkages on the different aspects of the subject matter.

The paper summarizes the book as well as provides an analysis on the various topics covered in the book. In addition, since some of the crimes covered under criminal law pertain only to women, the paper presents a feminist critique of the book.

Topics covered in the book

All the core subjects that should make part of the undergraduate course are included in the book and each one ...