This text analyses the key principles of the law of criminal evidence in England and Wales, against the backdrop of their broader practical and theoretical contexts. Readers will engage with the rules governing testimony in the criminal trial, including hearsay evidence, the admissibility of confession evidence, bad character evidence, and the burden of proof. The text takes account of recent legal and doctrinal developments in the field, and integrates discussion of the European Convention of Human Rights and post-Human Rights Act cases where relevant. The recent, profound impact of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 are also examined, alongside critical commentary on a number of recent Court of Appeal and House of Lords judgements (e.g. Camberwell Green Youth Court, Johnstone, Sheldrake, Hayter). This fresh contribution to scholarship in the field questions the rationale and practical operation of a number of these developments and identifies potential problem areas in the law, as well as options for further reform.