Features Off the Shelf
Guide to Martin’s Annual Criminal Code, 3rd Edition by Lance Triskle

Guide to Martin’s Annual Criminal Code, 3rd Edition

By Lance Triskle; 2020, 100 pages

ISBN: 978-1-77255-741-1

“A quantum leap forward over the previous edition” would be the best way to describe Lance Triskle’s Guide to Martin’s Annual Criminal Code, 3rd Edition. Written from a learning and teaching perspective, Triskle has crafted a must-have book for anyone who is looking to gain a better understanding of Martin’s Annual Criminal Code.

Although written from the perspective of a legal and academic professional, this book should be required reading for all police recruits or experienced officers that have not had the chance to gain an understanding of the Code or to learn how to navigate it effectively. Built-in examples and exercises that are applicable to individual or group work help take the reader through Martin’s; from the basic structure to the Offence Grid, Table of Cases, and Concordance, to the always challenging commentary portions (annotations, cross-references, and synopsis).

There is no fluff in this book; every chapter is directly relatable to Martin’s. It is written in plain language, enabling officers to navigate the curvy roads of our Criminal Code with ease. Inserted pages allow the reader to reference the pages being referred to without having to turn to the Criminal Code itself.

As a former police officer, I see this book as a great asset to any Canadian police service. Every police report room and investigations office in the country contains several copies of Martin’s. What they don’t contain is a guide about how to operate it. This book is that guide. It will help frontline officers and criminal investigators get a deeper understanding of every section, adding context to investigations and leading to better investigations and stronger cases. A thorough knowledge of relevant cases, both binding and persuasive, can only help create better police investigators.

All police officers are issued equipment, and each piece of equipment requires an operator’s manual. Martin’s Annual Criminal Code is one such piece. Lance Triskle’s guide is one such manual.

– Insp. Dave Hossack (ret.), Community Safety Faculty, Georgian College

*Learn more here.