Book reviews

European Criminal Law

3rd edition

André Klip

PUBLISHER: INTERSENTIA
ISBN: 978-1780682709
PRICE: €125

Now in its third edition, Professor Klip's book is the pre-eminent and most authoritative examination of European criminal law. The author provides a clear narrative of the subject. It is thoroughly up to date. As noted in the preface, there have been "elaborate revisions" to the text in light of the directives on defence rights, which rights are then deftly examined.

The book is however not an academic treatise. The author, in the best of European traditions, while being an academic is also a practising judge sitting at s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal (criminal division). The book offers admirable breadth and depth. For example, in discussing the two most significant, practitioner-oriented bodies in daily use in this area of cross border business, the European Judicial Network and Eurojust, Professor Klip describes their respective legal bases but, importantly, highlights that they ought to compliment each other and consult. There is a new chapter on the interpretation of EU law addressing the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union, its competence and assessment of admissibility. This is again of practical importance following the Lisbon Treaty and the recognition by the UK of the jurisdiction of the court.

As the UK faces a referendum on membership of the EU, inevitably criminal justice will be a major feature. This book more than amply demonstrates, no doubt for all aspects and interest in the debate, the extent to which there is an integrated mechanism which enables the 30 legal systems of the EU to provide the 508 million citizens of those states with an integrated system of criminal justice based upon the relatively straightforward principle of mutual recognition and respect, a principle initiated by the UK in 1999.

This is a unique and invaluable book, assimilating EU law, sources and practice, describing the legal instruments but providing context and interpretation with reference to case law.