Foreword

• Author: Thomas A Cromwell CC.
• Pages: 15-16

xv

FOR E WOR D

A fourth edition already! The only thing better than a good legal text

is a good legal text that is current. Once again, Professor Coughlan

has stayed on top of this quickly developing field and provided a new

edition that takes account of the significant developments in the law

since the release of his third edition. While no further evidence of

Professor Coughlan’s talent or industry is needed, this fourth edition

demonstrates that neither is on the wane. In keeping the book so cur-

rent, Professor Coughlan has ensured that it will continue to serve the

profession well, both as a mature overview of the underlying princi-

ples and as an up-to-date resource of the leading jurisprudence and

scholarly commentary. Particularly welcome is the extensive update of

the chapter on search and seizure, one of the most important and most

quickly evolving areas of criminal procedure.

That a sophisticated overview is much needed cannot be in doubt.

In criminal procedure, as Professor Coughlan astutely observes,

important questions of legal principle and societal values underlie

almost every question. The complex technicality of the subject must be

mastered, but not to the neglect of the underlying fundamental princi-

ples and deeply held values that are in play. Each edition of this book

has succeeded in striking this balance: the rules are there, but they are

always placed in the broader context of the underlying principles and

values.

As with previous editions, this fourth edition offers a quickly

accessible and sure-footed guide over tricky terrain. But that is not all: