Criminal Practice Flashcards
Who is the custody officer?
An officer, independent of the investigation holding the rank of at least sergeant who is responsible for the welfare of the detainee
What is the custody record?
A documented opened and kept by the custody officer, which is used record details of the detainee, their offence and time in custody.
Contains
- Detainee name and address
- details of their offence
- time of the arrest
- time they entered custody
- confirmation of rights
- any requests made by detainee
- and compliance with PACE Codes.
How is it decided whether a suspect should be obtained or released?
The custody officer should look as to whether there is sufficient evidence to charge.
If there is sufficient evident - Custody officer should charge them, and release them on bail OR remand them to police custody.
If there isn’t sufficient evidence - then the custody officer should release suspect on bail unless there is justifiable grounds to detain them further
What constitutes as justifiable grounds to detain an suspect longer when there isn’t sufficient evidence
The custody officer may detain a suspect in police custody if they reasonably believe that the suspect detention without charge is necessary to
A - preserve evidence
B - Obtain evidence
What rights do a suspect have when being detained at the police station? And when do the policies need to inform the suspect of these rights?
Rights to legal advice
- on arrival of the police station
- on arrest following voluntary attendance of the police station
- before commencement or recommencement of interviews
Right to have someone informed of arrest
When can the right of legal advice be delayed?
An officer of the rank of superintendent may delay suspect access to consult with a solicitor. The officer may do so if
A - the suspect has been charged an indictable offence AND
B - the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that exercising the right to legal advice will:
I. Lead to interference or harm with evidence connected with the evidence or interference or physical injury to other persons
II. Lead to alerting others connected to the offence
- if it delayed due to particular solicitor - another solicitor should be given
- can only be denied as long as the ground continues to exist
- can only be denied for maximum for 36 hours from the relevant time
- suspect should be informed about denial and the reason
When can the right to have someone informed be delayed?
An inspector or higher may delay the right up to 36 hours and can only be done if
A - suspect has been arrested of indictable offence
B - justiciable grounds - alerting someone could lead to
I - interference or harm to evidence or persons
II - alerting others involved
III - have benefited from criminal conduct
IV - would hinder the recovery of property
- Suspect should be delayed of the right and why
What is the relevant time?
Arrested person arrives at the police station or 24 hours after arrest - whichever is earlier
Briefly walk through the detention periods?
Maximum times and extensions
24 hours - initial period (default - everything else is an extension)
36 hours (12 hour extension by superintendent or above)
- indictable offence
- detention is necessary to preserve or secure evidence
- investigation is being carried out diligently and expeditiously
96 hours - (36 hour extension and then 24 hours by Magistrates court)
- court is made up by two lay magistrates or district judge
- application is made by oath by a warranted constable supported by written information
- suspect is present at court and detained for indictable offence
- court is satirised by reasonable grounds
I. Secure or preserve evidence
II. Obtain evidence through questioning
III. Investigation is being conducted diligently and expeditiously.
What are detention reviews?
A detention review is where an officer of at least the rank of inspector determines whether a suspect continued detention is justified. The review clock starts when the detention is authorised.
Break down when the detention reviews should take place
When must an identification procedure be held?
When can an identification procedure be withheld?
Break down what “Known and available is”
What is the different types of identification methods?
What are your options when police are asking questions?
- comment
- no comment - right to silence
- prepared statement - best when worried about how someone may perform at a interview
Anything that was not mentioned at interview or prepared statement but later relied on at court is open to adverse inferences.
Who needs a appropriate adult and who can be one?
Summarise remand time limits and custody time limits
Custody time limits
Pre-convictions
3 clear days on custody to a police constable
8 clear days in custody to prison
28 clear days in custody in prison where:
- tHe next stage of proceeding is fixed to occur within that time
- the d at the time of the remand is before the court and
- the defendant has previously been remanded in Custody by the court in proceedings
28 days clear day in custody to prison is the D is already serving a custodial offence.
Post-conviction
- three weeks in custody for enquiries or reports for sentencing
- 4 weeks on bail
custody time limits - the maximum amount of the time someone can be remanded in custody during criminal trial.
56 days for summary only offences
70 days for cases sent to the crown court or either way offences.
182 for indictable only offences
What are the exclusions to right to bail?
The right to bail does not apply to:
A. Those appealing the conviction or sentence or;
B. Defendants being committed for sentence from the magistrates court to the crown court
Bail can still be granted but the automatic right to bail does not apply
What are the exceptions to right of bail for indictable offences
There are substantial grounds for believing that if D is released on bail that the defendant would either:
A. Fail to attend a subsequent hearing
B. Commit further offences on bail
C. Interfere with witnesses or obstruct course of justice
Substantial grounds - that there is merit and substance to the fears.
Final filter - Bail should not be removed according to the ground if there is no real prospect of the defendant receiving a custodial sentence.
Name the summary only offences
Assault
Battery
Name the either way offences
ABH
GBH ( s20 - Without intent)
Theft*
Burglary*
Fraud
Simple criminal damage/arson*
Name the indictable offences
Murder
Manslaughter
GBH (s18 - with intent)
Robbery
Aggravated burglary
Aggravated criminal damage/arson
What is the laws position on low value shoplifting and low value criminal damage?
Low value shopping - under £200 cannot be sent to crown court - must be tried in magistrates
Low value criminal damage - under £5k cannot be sent to crown court - must be tried in magistrates but if arson is involved will follow the either way process of allocation.
What is the law position on burglary as an either way offence?
This either way offence becomes indictable if
1. Where the ulterior motive intended or committed in the building is indictable
2. Where a person in the building was subjected or threaten with violence
3. The D had committed a domestic burglary at 18+ and has 2 or more previous convictions for domestic burglary that occurred before November 1999.
What are the grounds for refusing bail on a summary offence
D has broken one of the conditions of bail during these proceeding or has breached a fail to surrender in the past.
What are the ground for refusing bail on non-imprisonable offences?
- For D’s own safety
- Not enough information to deal with bail now
- D is already serving a custodial offence
Discuss the right to bail for murder and rape type of cases and offences with life imprisonment
Murder, attempted murder, rape or serious sexual offence - if there is a previous conviction of a similar nature than bail will be refused unless there is exceptional reasons not to.
If it murder and there is no previous convictions of a similar nature: bail will be refused if there is a significant risk of someone being harmed by D
If it is a offence carrying a life imprisonment - bail will be refused if there significant risk of other offences being committed or failure to attend.
Discuss right to bail for offences against family members or abuse of drugs
Discuss applications to vary bail conditions
Can be made by prosecutors or defence on advance notice by other party
Application should be made to court who granted bail
Can be done without a hearing if both parties agree on variation
What happens if there is a breach of a bail condition and what would happen if you fail to surrender?
Breach of any bail conditions - tightening of bail conditions or arrest.
Breach of fail to surrender - charged with failing to surrender - following penalties can be imposed depending on which court they fail to surrender to:
Magistrate court - 3 months imprisonment or a maximum fine of 5k
Crown court - punishable up to 12 months or unlimited fine
Discuss the procedure for Bail applications
1. Prosecution representations: the prosecution will summarise the case against the defendant including a summary of evidence and previous convictions. The prosecution may
-Declare they object bails and specify grounds
- impose confections and specify the purpose they serve
2. Defence representations: the defence will be allowed to rebut any grounds or mitigate any concerns. They will initially advocate for unconditional bail or otherwise conditions for bail.
3. Right to reply: for the prosecutions to correct any misstatements by the defence
4. Decision as to bail the court will announce its decision and reasons. If granted the court will inform the defendant where and when to surrender to custody. If refused, court will serve defendant certificate of full argument
When can the defence and prosecution appeal the decision on bail?
Defence can appeal as soon as it practicable
- heard within 48 hours by crown court judge at a full rehearing.
Prosecution right is limited:
- they must have initially refused bail
- offence must be punishable by imprisonment
- prosecution indicates at hearing they will be appeal and within 2 hours confirmed in writing.
- Appeal is heard within 48 excluding weekends.
- magistrates court granted bail - heard by crown court judge
- crown court granted bail - heard by an high court judge
Breakdown the allocation of trial process for either way offences
- Indicates plea at first appearance - if non guilty or no plea indicated move to step 2
- Allocation hearing - Magistrates makes their determination as to suitability based on:
- adequacy of magistrates sentencing powers
- Representations by the parties
- allocation guidelines - should go to crown court - if complex or magistrate sentencing powers are insufficient
- Defendants choice - if the magistrate court accept summary jurisdiction, then defendant must decide whether they consent to summary trial or elect trial on indictment
Either way offences; right to elect - what should you get your defendant to consider when making this decision
They can consider the following and also request an indication of sentence to help them decide
Either way offences - what offences must be sent to crown court
Notices in serious or complex fraud cases
Notices in cases involving children
Related offences to an indictable offence
Related defendants, where one is sent to crown court
What should be in the Initial details of the prosecutions case and when should it be served
When shall the IDPC be served? What is the remedy if this not the case
As soon as practicable and in any case, not later then the beginning of the day of first hearing.
Remedy - trial adjourned and costs awarded to the defence.
What does the first hearing consist of?
Summary only and either way:
Plea + bail + representation and legal aid - all dealt with magistrates
Indictable:
First appearance will still be in MC who will deal with bail and legal aid then sent to crown court who will deal with plea and trial
When will a representation order be made
After applying electronically - and satisfying the two part test.
Interest of justice and means test
What does the interest of justice test consider?
- Likely i will loose my liberty
- I have a suspended sentence which if breached, court can deal with my original offence
- likely i will loose my livelihood
- likely i will suffer serious damage to my reputation
- involves substantial question of law
- i wont be able to understand the proceeding or present my own case
- Witness may need to be tracked on my behalf
- The proceedings may involve expert cross examinations of prosecution witness
- It is in the interests of another that i am represented
- Any other reason