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Paul McKeown

Barrister, Professor of Law

The City Law School Professional law programmes

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About

Overview

Before joining The City Law School, Paul McKeown was a member of Mitre House Chambers and practiced in criminal defence. He defended regularly in the Crown Court in cases involving offences against the person, sexual offences, public order offences and offences of dishonesty, and he also conducted some appellate work. In chambers, he served on the general management committee and co-chaired the pupillage committee. As co-chair of the pupillage committee, he redesigned chambers' selection procedures and rewrote its pupillage handbook. 

At the Law School, he has wide experience of cross-programme teaching and course development. He was leader for Evidence on the bar course for many years and guided it through difficult periods of regulatory change. During the last period of regulatory change, he created many new educational materials on evidence law for the Law School's first blended learning and fully online BVS course, including numerous short podcasts on the most difficult topics.  He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and has received many awards for excellence in teaching and curriculum development from both the Law School and the University. He has also received a Student Voice Award from the University's Students' Union. 

In the field of academic writing, he is co-author of Keane & McKeown, The Modern Law of Evidence (Oxford University Press), which is currently in its 15th edition. This is a leading text on the law of evidence with a domestic and international readership. It has been cited with approval by appellate courts in the UK and Commonwealth and by the International Criminal Tribunal (Rwanda).  

He is also member of the Criminal Law Review's case commentary team and has published many commentaries on evidence cases. He has presented papers and published articles on the criminal standard of proof and recently led an empirical research project on the comprehension of judicial directions on the criminal standard of proof that are currently used in jury trials in England and Wales. The findings of the research team were published in the Criminal Law Review in November 2025. 

Publications

Publications by category

Books (11)

  • KEANE, A.M.P. (2024). The Modern Law of Evidence. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 9780198903802.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. (2022). The Modern Law of Evidence. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192855930.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. (2020). The Modern Law of Evidence 13th Edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199698325.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. (2018). The Modern Law of Evidence 12th Edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198811855.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. (2016). The Modern Law of Evidence 11th Edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198749295.
  • Edge, R., Griffiths, J., McKeown, P. and McPeake, R. (Eds.), (2014). Evidence. Oxford University Press.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. (2014). The Modern Law of Evidence 10th Edition. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 9780199684342.
  • McKeown, P. (2012). Evidence Manual. McKeown, P. (Ed.), Oxford University Press.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. (2012). The Modern Law of Evidence 9th Edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199698325.
  • Keane, A., Griffiths, J. and McKeown, P. (2010). The Modern Law of Evidence 8th Edition. Oxford University Press, USA.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. The Modern Law of Evidence. ISBN 9780198749295.

Internet publications (4)

  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P.(2020).Legal Updates: Modern Law of Evidence 13th Edition: https://learninglink.oup.com/access/keane-mckeown13e-student-resources#tag_updates. Oxford University Press.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P.(2019).Legal updates for the Modern Law of Evidence 12th Edition: https://learninglink.oup.com/access/keane12e-student-resources#tag_updates. Oxford University Press.
  • McKeown, P.(2019).Similar Fact Evidence (2019) (Westlaw; Criminal Topics; Overview). Westlaw.
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P.Legal updates for the Modern Law of Evidence 12th Edition: https://learninglink.oup.com/access/keane12e-student-resources#tag_updates.

Journal articles (30)

  • McKeown, P., Keane, A. and Stares, S. (2026). Are you sure? New Law Journal, 176(8149), pp. 15-16

    [publisher’s website]

  • McKeown, P., Keane, A. and Stares, S. (2025). Comprehension of "sure" as the description of the criminal standard of proof - an empirical study. Criminal Law Review, (9), pp. 518-538
  • McKeown, P. (2022). The Crown Court Compendium and the criminal standard of proof: suggestions to aid juror comprehension and help judges. The Criminal Law Review, (11), pp. 893-907
  • McKeown, P. (2022). Dreaded questions, doubtful answers and the trouble with "sure". New Law Journal, 172(7989), pp. 13-14

    [publisher’s website]

  • McKeown, P. (2020). R v Gillings Crim LR [2020], 11, 1057-1060, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (11)
  • McKeown, P. (2020). R v Green Crim L R [2019] 8, 709-712, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (8)
  • McKeown, P. (2020). R v Day Crim LR [2020] 2, 170- 174 Commentary. Criminal Law Review, 2
  • McKeown, P. (2020). R v Shaid Crim LR [2020] 2, 167-170, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (2)
  • McKeown, P. (2020). R v Omotoso Crim LR [2019] 2, 156-160, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (2)
  • McKeown, P. (2020). R v Brown Crim LR [2020] 1, 71-74, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (1)
  • Keane, A. and McKeown, P. (2019). Time to Abandon ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt’ and ‘Sure’: The Case for a New Direction on the Criminal Standard and Why and How it should be Used. Criminal Law Review, Crim L(6), pp. 505-527

    [publisher’s website]

  • McKeown, P. (2019). R v Cooper Crim L R [2019] 1, 42-44, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (1)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). Randell v DPP [2018], 10, 850-852, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (10)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). DPP v Sugden [2018], 9, 752-756, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (9)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). R v Jukes [2018], 8, 658-666, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (8)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). AB v CPS [2018] Crim LR, 7, 576-581, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (7)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). R v JR Crim LR [2018], 6, 478-481, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (6)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). R v Hay [2018], 5, 400- 402, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (5)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). R v JL [2018], 2, 184-187, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (2)
  • McKeown, P. (2018). R v Grimes [2018] Crim LR, 1, 68-70, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (1)
  • McKeown, P. (2017). R v Midmore [2017] Crim LR, 10, 793-798, Commentary. Criminal Law Review
  • McKeown, P. (2017). R v Sardar [2017] Crim LR, 6, 500-504, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (6)
  • McKeown, P. (2017). R v Noble [2017] Crim LR, 6, 473-478, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (6)
  • McKeown, P. (2017). R v Evans [2017] Crim LR, 5, 406-411, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (5)
  • McKeown, P. (2017). R v Mitchell [2017] Crim LR, 4, 310-316, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (4)
  • McKeown, P. (2017). Myers v The Queen; Cox v The Queen; Brangman v The Queen Crim LR [2017], 2, 125-131, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (2)
  • McKeown, P. (2017). R v Awoyemi Crim L R [2017], 2, 131-137, Commentary. Criminal Law Review, (2)
  • McKeown, P. (2000). R v El Treki, Archbold News, (2000), Issue 8. Archbold News, (8)
  • McKeown, P. (2000). R v El Treki, The Criminal Lawyer, No. 107, October 2000, 1, Butterworths. The Criminal Lawyer, (107)
  • McKeown, P. (1999). 'Challenging Crown Court Permission to Name & Shame', The Criminal Lawyer, No 95 July 1999, Butterworths, 2pp. The Criminal Lawyer, (95)