It’s easy to sign up for updates from the Judicial College.

If you don’t subscribe, the JCV still make it easy to go in and check for recent updates to their major publications. Once inside a Manual look on the right side of the page for a clickable link that says Recent updates. (The Sentencing Manual and Criminal Charge Book are updated most often).

Over the Christmas break their Sentencing Manual got a significant overhaul. Upgrades include:

· 3.2.1.5 – Merciful discretion

· 3.2.3 – Procedural fairness

· 3.4.1.4 – The duty to make submissions on sentencing range

· 3.4.1.5 – Impact on appellate rights

· 4.3.4.1 – Rejection of equivocal pleas

· 4.4 – Fact finding

· 4.4.4 – Interpreting a jury verdict

· 4.4.5 – Agreed facts

· 4.5.8 – Subsequent convictions

· 4.6.1.1 – Use of co-offender’s statement permissible

· 4.6.4 – Victim impact statements

· 5.3 – Recording of conviction

· 5.10 – Reasons for sentence

· 5.11 – Correction of errors

· 5.14 – Sentencing after retrial

· 6.2 – Proportionality

· 6.7.5.6 – Guilty plea

· 11.2.7 – Statement identifying discount for guilty plea

And if you’re checking out the JCV website have a look at the new Civil Procedure Bench Book.

It notes changes to civil procedure caused by the introduction of the Civil Procedure Act 2010, and contains a built-in quiz like others already on the JCV’s website.