Comparative Criminal Procedure

Book excerpt: As in the first edition, Comparative Criminal Procedure presents a topical approach to the subject, focusing on the roles of public prosecutors, police, victims, and defense attorneys in the investigation of criminal cases and trials up through the judgment phase. Thaman uses high court jurisprudence in English translation to elucidate the European approach to important, and often controversial, areas of criminal procedure, and he also links criminal procedure with its roots in substantive criminal law. Thaman looks at the early reactions to flagrant and secret crimes as the historical roots of modern criminal procedure. The approaches of the old inquisitorial system and the use of torture to solve circumstantial evidence crimes are also presented. The Second Edition retains the basic content and organization of the original edition. It updates the citations to U.S. Supreme Court cases and to important literature which has appeared in the last six years. Some new important cases are referred to, primarily in footnotes. Stylistic improvements to the text and translations have been made and glossary entries (including some Russian terms) have been added. This book is part of the Comparative Law Series, edited by Michael L. Corrado, Arch T. Allen Distinguished Professor of Law, UNC School of Law.