The aim of this book is to provide students with a clear, understandable and readable exposition of the general principles of criminal law and of the major offences commonly studied in degree and professional courses. Originally written for distance learning students who are without ready access to tutorial guidance, we believe that the approach is equally well suited to students attending university courses, where increasing resource problems mean that the availability of tutorial guidance and advice reduces, and reliance on online delivery increases, by the year. We have endeavoured to pass on the benefits of decades of experience (we are not prepared to reveal how many!) of teaching criminal law to law degree and non-law graduate conversion students embracing full-time, part-time and sandwich attendance modes as well as distance learning modes. We know what students find difficult and the common misunderstandings and mistakes which occur and we have tried particularly hard to enable readers to avoid them. Indeed one five-star review of a previous edition on the Amazon website felt ‘a deep sense of communication’ from the author to the reader. That has certainly been the aim and it is good to know that it succeeded for at least one person!