The Garden Court Crime Team is pleased to announce that ‘A Practical Guide to the law in relation to Gang Evidence and Drill Lyrics in Criminal Proceedings’ written by Gerwyn Wise is out now.
A Practical Guide to the law in relation to Gang Evidence and Drill Lyrics in Criminal Proceedings’, published by Law Brief Publishing, provides a guide for legal professionals on the relevance and admissibility of gang association and musical content, in particular drill lyrics, in criminal proceedings.
This area of practice raises not only complex legal discussions about the admissibility of bad character, hearsay and expert evidence but also important societal attitudes towards black cultural heritage.
The growing debate in this controversial area of law is not only interesting but also necessary knowledge for any practitioner regularly instructed to represent children and young adults in criminal proceedings.
In the book, there are chapters addressing the definition of a ‘gang’, the origin of drill music in the UK, the admissibility of gang evidence under the Lewis test, the relevant law in relation to applications for both gang injunctions and criminal behaviour orders and potential future reforms to the treatment of gang evidence and drill music in criminal proceedings.
Gerwyn sets out the various practical issues faced by those instructed in gang association cases with the aim of assisting practitioners at every stage of proceedings.
About the Author
Gerwyn Wise is a criminal defence barrister at Garden Court Chambers. He specialises in cases of organised crime, serious violence, sexual offences, fraud and confiscation.
Gerwyn is frequently instructed to advise and represent individuals involved in high profile cases of alleged gang activity, particularly those involving children and young adults. He has extensive experience opposing the admission of alleged gang affiliation evidence, particularly in the form of rap and drill lyrics.
