Rook & Ward’s seminal ‘Sexual Offences Law and Practice’

On 22 January 2026 I hosted the launch of the seventh edition of Rook & Ward’s seminal ‘Sexual Offences Law and Practice’ in the atrium at the City Law School, that was packed (as you would expect) with judges, barristers, prosecutors and the wider sector coming together to pay tribute and celebrate a very special text.

This book has covered the whole of criminal justice process from investigation to trial, sentence and post sentence for over thirty years. It continues to provide the only fully comprehensive up to date analysis of the issues that arise in the prosecutions of sexual offences, and is relied on by the judiciary, academics and practitioners across England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Deputy Dean Professor Mark O’Brien opened the event, and  we had some talks: HH Rook KC, me, Prof Katrin Hohl and Robert Ward KC (Hon) discussed some of the topical issues affecting the prosecution of sexual offences. In my talk I explained what I think is special about Rook & Ward: that it is not only authoritative, but a safe pair of hands in that it nudges us (and the criminal law) to move in a progressive direction in a very fraught space.