criminal courts and sanctions Flashcards
What happens at a magistrates court
Convictions and sentences can be heard defence can appeal
What happens at the high court
Jury nobbling and prosecution can appeal
What happens at the QBD
Defence and prosecution can appeal point of law is heard
What are the 3 highest courts
Supreme then court of appeal then criminal division
What happens at the crown courts
Prosecution and defence can appeal convictions sentences and point of law can be heard
On what ground can magistrates court appeal and who to
Crown court on grounds of conviction and sentence being too Lenient
On what grounds can crown court appeal to the high court
Prosecution and jury nobbling
On what grounds can the crown court appeal to the criminal division
Prosecution and defence on grounds of conviction, sentence and point of law
What is a summary offence
Tried in magistrates court less serious e.g. assault ,battery ,criminal damage
What is an either way offence?
Tried either in magistrates court or Crown e.g. S47 /S20 where pleas is not guilty d has the right to ask for the case to be tried at the crown court by a jury, magistrates can also decide the case is too serious and send the case to the crown court
What is an indictable offences
Tried in crown e.g. s18 /murder most serious offences - preliminary hearing at magistrates court
What category is assault and battery
Summary offence
Where can summary offences be tried
Magistrates court
What category is s47 OAPA and s20 OAPA
Either way offence
Where can an either way offence be tried
Magistrates or crown court
What category is a s18 OAPA
Indictable offence
Where can a indictable offence be tried
Crown court hearing at magistrates
What are the 3 types of hearings that can take place in a court
- A Pretrial hearing
- trial
- appeal
What is the pre trial procedure for a summary offence
- complete case at earliest hearing so the sentence can be decided ASAP if D pleads guilty
- many offences can be dealt with at a 1st hearing through a procedure under which the D can plead guilty by post so that attendance as court isn’t necessary
What is the pre trial procedure for either way offences
-can be tried again magistrates court /crown court the pre trial procedure has first to decide where the case will be tried there has to be a plea before venue hearing
What is a plea before venue
D is 1st asked whether he pleads guilty or not if the plea is guilty then D have a right to ask for the case to be heard at crown court but magistrates may decide to sent the D to crown court for sentence
What is mode of trial
To decide whether the case will be tried in the magistrates court or the crown court
Whether the case is suitable for trial in the magistrates court and whether they are prepared to accept jurisdiction S19 of magistrates court act 1980 consider nature and seriousness of the case and complex questions of fact or law will be tried in a crown court and when the crime was committed by an organised gang
Pros for the D electing to go to crown court
+60% of defendants are acquitted
+ judge discharges the case or directing the D be found not guilty
+ higher chance of acquittal
+ a wish to serve part of the sentence in a remand prison
+ likely to receive legal aid
Cons of D electing to go to crown cour
- a longer wait
- a trail is more likely to last longer than magistrates
- crown court gets more media coverage
- crown court cases are more expensive
what is the jurisdiction of the magistrates court
- try all summary cases
- try any triable -either way offences in which the magistrates are prepared to accept jurisdiction and where D agrees to the summary trial by the magistrates
- deal with preliminary hearings of all indictable offences all side matters connected to criminal cases e.g. warrants and try cases in youth court when D is 10-17
what is the jurisdiction of a crown court?
- triable either way offences where D has elected to be tried in crown court or where magistrates have decided the case is too serious for them and sent it to the crown court
- all indictable offences
- appeals from the magistrates court