Title overview
Support your students' learning and understanding of the key concepts surrounding Criminal Law with this powerful digital tool.
Revel for Criminal Law, 3rd edition helps your students develop their skills and apply tort law to real-life problem scenarios through activities, self-tests, and writing tasks.
This reader-friendly, updated digital edition enables you to schedule student preparation for lectures and seminars, and assess their understanding of the topics, critical evaluation, and application of the law.
With the Revel edition, you can now challenge your students to give client advice based on evidence from real-life case files and help them think like a lawyer.
Learn more about Revel®.
Hallmark features of this title
Clear, straightforward explanation of Criminal Law that promotes understanding
- Explains key aspects of each topic through case and chapter summaries.
- Engages students by setting each chapter topic in the practical context.
- Aligns concise text to module objectives to focus effort.
Builds student confidence to apply their learning and improve through structured immediate feedback
- Assigned tasks encourage students to apply what they have learned to problem scenarios and practice writing essays.
- Immediate feedback on end-of-chapter MCQ exercises, 'Apply the Law' and 'Evaluate the Law' writing tasks support improvement.
Encourages students to think like a lawyer
- Students give client advice based on evidence from a real-life case file via mini simulations.
New and updated features of this title
New cases added in 2023 demonstrate how theory applies to real life
- Re Force India Formula One Team Ltd [2022] EWHC 933 (Ch) included on implied terms
- Times Travel (UK) Ltd v Pakistan International Airlines Corp [2021] UKSC 40 affirming the tests for economic duress and coercion
- Dayah v Partners of Bushloe Street Surgery [2020] EWHC 1375 (QB) and Bank of New York Mellon (International) Ltd v Cine-UK Ltd [2021] EWHC 1013 (QB) on frustration
- Attorney General of the Virgin Islands v Global Water Associates Ltd [2020] UKPC 18 on damages
- Matthew v Sedman [2021] UKSC 19 on the limitation period
- London Club Management Ltd v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2020] UKSC 49 on consideration
The following cases and legislation have been added in the 2024 update:
- R v Myles [2023] EWCA Crim 943 and R v Drake [2023] EWCA Crim 1454 on loss of control.
- Marland v DPP [2023] EWHC 1046 (Admin) on battery.
- R v Wiseman [2023] EWCA Crim 1363 and R v (David) Ames [2023] EWCA Crim 1463 on fraud.
- R v Usman [2023] EWCA Crim 313 on insanity.
- R v Phair [2022] NICA 66 and Caryn Moss v The King (Bahamas) [2023] UKPC 28 on duress.
- R v Rowe & others [2022] EWCA Crim 27 and R v Hussain & others [2023] EWCA Crim 697 on accessories.
Secondary literature
- Cornford A. (2022) ‘Beyond Fair Labelling: Offence Differentiation in Criminal Law’ 42 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 985
- Dowds, E. (2022) ‘“I presume she wanted it to happen”: rape, reasonable belief in consent, and law reform in Northern Ireland’ 73 Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 501
- Dowds, E. (2022) ‘Redefining consent: rape law reform, reasonable belief, and communicative responsibility’ 49 Journal of Law and Society 633
- Dsouza, M. (2022) ‘Against the act/omission distinction’ 73 Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 474
- Dsouza, M. (2022) ‘False Beliefs and Consent to Sex’ 85 Modern Law Review 1191
- Elkington, A. (2023) ‘Involuntary Voluntary Action’ 87 Journal of Criminal Law 407
- Elkington, A. (2023) ‘The Historical Development of Duress and the Unfounded Result of Denying
- Duress as a Defence to Murder’ 87 Journal of Criminal Law 207
- Krebs, B. (2023) ‘Does complicity require a measurable contribution?’ 87 Journal of Criminal Law 294
- Mackay, R. (2023) ‘Commentary on R v Usman’ Criminal Law Review 600
- Picinali, F. (2021) ‘The Presumption of Innocence: A Deflationary Account’ 84 Modern Law Review 708
- Stark, F. (2023) ‘Deconstructing constructive liability’ Criminal Law Review 118
- Thomas, C. (2023) ‘Juries, rape and sexual offences in the Crown Court 2007-2021’ Criminal Law Review 200
- Wong, A. H. L. (2023) ‘Speculative leap in inferring conditional intent’ 82 Cambridge Law Journal 228
- Yang, D. (2023) ‘Recklessness and Circumstances in Criminal Attempts’ 17 Criminal Law and Philosophy 359
New in 2025:
In response to research requests, we are introducing two new enhancements to this product: 1. Within certain chapters’ Apply the Law problem scenario, additional question(s) based on the Single Best Answer format set out by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE). These questions are designed to prepare undergraduate students for the SQE Part 1. They reflect the high importance of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) in law teaching. 2. A new testbank of multiple choice questions, designed to be used for assessments (ie no feedback / correct answer is shown). These testbanks are a mixture of scaffolded MCQs and Single Best Answer MCQs for each chapter. They are available to download from this website, for uploading into your virtual learning environment: Criminal Law The following cases and materials have been added in the 2025 update: Cases Commentary
Key features
Highlights of the Digital Update for Revel (available for 2023 classes)
New cases added in 2023
- COL v DPP [2022] EWHC 601 (Admin) regarding a misdirection of law in a modern slavery case
- R v Keal [2022] EWCA Crim 341 on the insanity defence in connection with a psychotic state
Features of Revel for the 3rd edition
- A digital interactive platform, Revel allows you to support your students' preparation for lectures and seminars and assess their understanding of the topics and application of the law.
- Multiple Choice Questions exercises in every chapter consolidate student learning, offering immediate feedback, with 'Apply the Law' and 'Evaluate the Law' writing tasks to support improvement.
- Mini simulations offer your students the great opportunity to give client advice based on evidence from real-life case files and prepare for their legal career.
Features of Pearson eText for the 3rd Edition
Extend learning beyond the classroom with Pearson eTextbook – an easy-to-use digital textbook.
Enhance your understanding of criminal law with Criminal Law, 3rd Edition, a comprehensive eTextbook designed to support your learning.
Optimise study time
- Find it fast. Enhanced search makes it easy to find a key term or topic to study. Students can search for cases and legislation
- Get organised and get results. Students can customise how they study and add their own notes, bookmarks, and highlights directly in their eTextbook
- Reinforce and revise learning. MCQ exercises, 'Apply the Law' and mini-simulation writing tasks
Meet students where they are
- Study on or offline. With the mobile app, you and your students can access your eTextbook anytime, anywhere
- Listen anywhere. Learners can listen to the audio version of their eTextbook for most titles, making learning even more flexible
- Watch and learn. Videos and animations within the eTextbook bring tricky concepts to life (available in selected titles).
Find out more about Pearson eTextbooks.
Table of contents
- Your Criminal Law Toolkit
- The Anatomy of a Crime
- Key Actus Reus Concepts
- Key Mens Rea Concepts
- Homicide
- Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person
- Sexual Offences
- Property Offences
- Intoxication
- Mental Condition Defences
- Substantive Defences
- Inchoate Offences
- Accessories
Author bios
Stuart Macdonald is Professor of Law at Swansea University. He has taught criminal law for over 20 years and has published widely on criminal justice issues, particularly counterterrorism and terrorist use of the internet.