Blackstone's Guide to the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003: (Blackstone's Guide)

The Blackstone's Guide Series is a well established series of practical guides to the latest new legislation. The Guides all contain a full copy of the Act together with commentary on the effects, extent and scope of the legislation. The Guides are concise, accessible and clearly laid out, essential tools for those practising in the area. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 comes into force in stages from February 2004. It is a far-reaching Act, creating new powers for the courts, the police, and local authorities to combat a wide range of behaviour (from truancy to noise nuisance; graffiti to drug dealing; fly-tipping to firearms). It makes major amendments to a wide range of existing legislation (including the Housing Acts 1985, 1988 and 1996, the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Public Order Act 1986, the Education Act 1996, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, the Firearms Act 1968 and the Police Reform Act 2002). Its impact in all these fields is significant. This Guide takes a practical and critical approach to the Act, providing full commentary and background information on its provisions. The Guide provides the full context for the many piecemeal and unconnected amendments made by the new provisions, including where necessary, details of the existing law and an overview of where the changes made by the Act will fit within the law as a whole. The Guide is structured clearly and logically, following the Parts of the Act, and is an indispensable reference aid for practitioners in any of the areas touched on by the Act, but particularly, in housing, environmental, education and criminal law.

Table of Contents:
1: Remedies for Anti-Social Behaviour 2: An Overview of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 3: Part I of the Act: Premises Where Drugs are Used Unlawfully 4: Part 2 of the Act: Housing 5: Part 3 of the Act: Parental Responsibilities 6: Part 4 of the Act: Dispersal of Groups 7: Part 5 of the Act: Firearms 8: Part 6 of the Act: The Environment 9: Part 7 of the Act: Public Order and Trespass 10: Part 8 of the Act: High Hedges 11: Part 9 of the Act: Miscellaneous Powers APPENDICES Appendix 1: Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 Appendix 2: Regulations Appendix 3: Guidance

About the Author :
Jonathan Manning, is a Barrister at Arden Chambers and was called in 1989. He was a founder member of Arden Chambers and specialises in Housing, Local Government and Public Law and Human Rights. He has worked on numerous anti-social behaviour cases and is author of "Judicial Review Proceedings: A Practitioner's Guide LAG 1995 2/e" (Legal Action Group, forthcoming) plus a number of other books and articles. Claire-Louise Manning is a barrister, currently working as a Magistrate's Court legal adviser. She specialises in criminal law and regularly conducts magistrate's training and seminars for practitioners. Victoria Osler is a barrister at Arden Chambers and was called in 2001. She specialises in landlord and tenant, housing (including anti-social behaviour orders and committal proceedings) and homelessness.

Review :
There is no doubt about the lucid presentation and the analytical skills shown in this book. For magistrates' courts on whom the task of enforcing the Act chiefly falls this is an excellent and detailed guide. JUSTICE of the PEACE