Book excerpt: The first three sections of the book explore in turn key definitions, key pieces of legislation and key documents that have helped to shape the operations of the criminal justice system, whilst the fourth details websites of particular relevance to this field. As such, this dictionary provides an extensive but accessible introduction to the important terms that relate to both the development and the contemporary processes of criminal justice. It also succeeds in placing the UK criminal justice system within an international setting through the inclusion of entries that acknowledge the global setting in which British justice operates. --