Media Law: 3 Criminal courts & procedure Flashcards
indictable offences
[3]
- most serious
- only in Crown Court
- jury
either way offences
[3]
- either magistrates or Crown Court
- defendant can insist on a Crown Court trial
- otherwise magistrates decide if they have enough sentencing power
summary offences
[2]
- only magistrates court
- DO NOT see as trivial (inc. assaulting police officer and drink driving)
start of criminal proceedings
[3]
- ALL start in magistrates
- one or two hearings before trial starts
- 95% stay in magistrates
magistrates sentencing power
[3]
- max. 6 months’ prison sentence
- 12 for multiple offences
- can refer more severe sentences to Crown Court
legal advisor to magistrates
[2]
- clerk to the justices
- no say on sentence
youth courts
[2]
- try under 18s
- branch of magistrates court
percentage/number cases tried by jury
[2]
- 1%
- 30,000 cases per year
role of jury
[1]
- decide whether innocent or guilty
criteria for jurors
[3]
- 12 people from electoral register
- 18-70
- over 65s can opt out
historical exemptions
[1]
- professions (e.g. lawyers, doctors, judges)
- abolished by Criminal Justice Act 2003
referring to Crown Court
[3]
- technically only ONE Crown Court, but can sit in multiple places simultaneously
- should be “the Crown Court”
- but common to refer to “[Cambridge] Crown Court” rather than “the Crown Court sitting at Cambridge”
referring to Crown Court
[3]
- technically only ONE Crown Court, but can sit in multiple places simultaneously
- should be “the Crown Court”
- but common to refer to “[Cambridge] Crown Court” rather than “the Crown Court sitting at Cambridge”
either way offences
[3]
- either magistrates or Crown Court
- defendant can insist on a Crown Court trial
- otherwise magistrates decide if they have enough sentencing power
summary offences
[2]
- only magistrates court
- DO NOT see as trivial (inc. assaulting police officer and drink driving)
start of criminal proceedings
[3]
- ALL start in magistrates
- one or two hearings before trial starts
- 95% stay in magistrates
magistrates sentencing power
[3]
- max. 6 months’ prison sentence
- 12 for multiple offences
- can refer more severe sentences to Crown Court
legal advisor to magistrates
[2]
- clerk to the justices
- no say on sentence
youth courts
[2]
- try under 18s
- branch of magistrates court
percentage/number cases tried by jury
[2]
- 1%
- 30,000 cases per year
role of jury
[1]
- decide whether innocent or guilty
criteria for jurors
[3]
- 12 people from electoral register
- 18-70
- over 65s can opt out
people NOT allowed on juries
[4]
- on bail
- ever sentenced to 5 years in prison
- received prison sentence, suspended sentence, community order or probation order in last 10 years
- mental health problems requiring hospitalisation or regular treatment
historical exemptions
[2]
- professions (e.g. lawyers, doctors, judges)
- abolished by Criminal Justice Act 2003
referring to Crown Court
[3]
- technically only ONE Crown Court, but can sit in multiple places simultaneously
- should be “the Crown Court”
- but common to refer to “[Cambridge] Crown Court” rather than “the Crown Court sitting at Cambridge”
non-police bodies that investigate crime
[2]
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
acts governing police procedure
[3]
- Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
- Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
- Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
point at which criminal proceedings start
[2]
- arrest is made
- police lay an information
laying an information
[3]
- document outlining particulars of offence sent by police to magistrates
- magistrates can issue arrest warrant or summons
- must be laid within 6 months of summary offence for magistrates to be able to try it
summons
[2]
- tells defendant what they are accused of
- when they must attend court
pre-arrest powers
[4]
- do not have to answer questions from police
- cannot be detained unless lawfully arrested
- fine line between not answering questions and obstruction
- someone voluntarily attending police station can leave whenever (‘detained for questioning’ has no legal meaning)
factors for public interest
[4]
- in Code of Practice for Crown Prosecutors
- likely to result in significant sentence
- offence against someone serving the public (e.g. police)
- minor offence that happens very frequently in local area
right during police questioning
[1]
- being told what you’re accused of
time limits on detention
[4]
- 36 hours (then must release or charge)
- indictable offence: can add 12 hours if necessary (48)
- apply to magistrates for more (up to 96 hours)
- terrorism charges: 28 days
end of questioning
[2]
- when charged
- just PACE guidelines, but could mean evidence not usable in court
released and not charged
[2]
- civil case of false / wrongful arrest
- tests whether grounds for arrest unreasonable
DEF: arrest warrant guaranteeing suspect released on bail
[1]
- ‘backed for bail’
reasons not to grant bail
[6]
- suspect will abscond, commit further offences, interfere with witnesses, obstruct course of justice
- for defendant’s protection
- not yet sufficient information to make decision
- already on bail for indictable offence
- already charged with imprisonable offence AND tests positive for Class A drugs
- charged with murder, manslaughter, rape, attempted rape AND has previous conviction of same crime
DEF: bail money paid by defendant
- ‘security’
- lost if fail to make court appearance
DEF: bail money paid by third party
- ‘surety’
- does not have to be paid in advance
- if defendant doesn’t show then third party can be jailed
DEF: suspects awaiting trial who have been refused bail
- prisoners on remand
- approx. 22% prison population
CPS options after charging
- prosecute
- drop charges
- issue caution
caution
- formal warning
- suspect must admit guilt AND there must be likelihood of successful prosecution
- recorded and can be used as evidence of criminal record
CPS’s two-stage test whether to prosecute
- sufficient evidence?
- in public interest?
public interest
- in Code of Practice for Crown Prosecutors
- ## likely to result in significant sentence
factors making prosecution unlikely
- suspect elderly or unwell
- long time between offence and trial date
private prosecutions
- if CPS drops charges private individuals can prosecute
- no legal aid available
- in serious cases DPP must be informed
DEF: magistrates sitting on pre-trial hearings that will go to Crown Court
- ‘examining justices’
pre-trial hearing for summary cases
- optional
- magistrate may hold one so both sides can agree main issues of case
pre-trial hearing for either way cases
- start with ‘plea before venue’ from defendant (i.e. guilty or not guilty)
after guilty plea
- hear prosecution for ‘mitigation’
options after hearing guilty plea prosecution
- adjourn for reports (e.g. on mental state, etc.)
- sentence defendant
- send defendant to Crown Court for sentencing
after not guilty plea
- defendant decides venue
- magistrates can also insist on Crown Court
DEF: procedure before magistrates send to Crown Court
- committal / committal for trial
committal
- magistrates decide whether enough evidence to send to Crown Court
- done on paper (e.g. written statements for prosecution)
- defence can insist not enough evidence, forcing magistrates to assess evidence themselves
- if magistrates agree with defence then case can be thrown out
DEF: written statements for prosecution
- ‘depositions’
if magistrates dismiss a case…
- prosecution can apply to High Court for bill of indictment
- Crown Court case goes ahead anyway
DEF: fast-track procedure for either way cases involving children or serious fraud
- notice of transfer
jury verdicts
- retire for at least 2 hours
- judge prefers unanimous verdict
- can accept 11-1 or 10-2
- or 10-1 or 9-2 if jury reduced, e.g. by illness
sending for trial
- defendant appears usually once in magistrates
- issues of funding from Legal Services Commission (formerly Legal Aid)
- use of particular statements / exhibits
arguing no case to answer
- defendant can apply within 14 days for case to be dismissed
- defence can apply to High Court that case should not be in Crown Court
bail application
- long period between pre-trial hearings and Crown Court
- prosecution will be asked for their objections
DEF: pre-trial hearing in Crown Court
- plea and direction hearing
- guilty or not guilty
- known as the arraignment
DEF: start of the trial for complex cases
- ‘preparatory hearing’
- detailed examination of cases so judge can make it more easily comprehensible to jury later