(RED) Criminal Courts: Procedure and Appeals Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the least serious type of offence and where will these cases be heard?

A

Summary offences- in the Magistrates Court.

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2
Q

What is the middle type of offence and where will these cases be heard?

A

Triable either way and will either be heard in the Magistrates or Crown Court.

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3
Q

What is the most serious type of offence and where will these cases be heard?

A

Indictable offences- in the Crown Court.

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4
Q

What is the procedure for a guilty plea for a summary offence?

A

D is charged with a summary offence and appears before a Magistrates Court for a preliminary hearing. D pleads guilty and the Magistrates sentence D to a max of 6 months. They could refer the case to the Crown Court if their powers of sentencing aren’t enough.

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5
Q

What is the procedure for a not guilty plea for a summary offence?

A

D is charged with a summary offence and appears before a Magistrates Court for a preliminary hearing. D pleads not guilty and the magistrates set a date for trial. They consider whether to grant bail and any conditions to put on it. At the trial, the Magistrates hear all the evidence and reach a verdict. If found guilty, they will sentence D to a max of 6 months. They could refer the case to the Crown Court if their powers of sentencing aren’t enough.

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6
Q

What is the procedure for a guilty plea for a triable either way offence?

A

D is charged with a triable either way offence. D pleads guilty at the plea before venue hearing in the Magistrates Court. The Magistrates sentence D to a max of 6 months. They could refer the case to the Crown Court if their powers of sentencing aren’t enough.

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7
Q

What is the procedure for a not guilty plea for a triable either way offence?

A

D is charged with a triable either way offence. D pleads not guilty at the plea before venue hearing in the Magistrates Court. There is then a mode of trial hearing where the Magistrates decide if it is possible for the case to be heard in the Magistrates Court or if it has to go to the Crown. If it is possible then D gets the choice of which court to go to (defendant’s election). If they opt for the Magistrates Court then Magistrates will hear all the evidence and reach a verdict. If guilty, they will sentence D to a max of 6 months (can refer if powers aren’t enough). If Crown Court then there is a case management hearing at the Crown Court where a date is set for trial and bail is decided. At the trial, a jury will decide the verdict and a judge will sentence D if guilty.

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8
Q

What sort of factors are taken into consideration by the Magistrates at a mode of trial hearing?

A
  • Level of seriousness of offence
  • Whether their powers of punishment will be enough
  • If the case involves complex issues or facts of law
  • If there was an abuse of trust
  • If the offence was organised by a gang
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9
Q

Why is it cheaper for D to choose to have the trial in the Magistrates Court?

A

Trial in the Crown Court lasts several days which can be expensive if D is paying for their own lawyers. If D has to pay part of the Prosecution cost this is also greater in the Crown Court than in the Magistrates.

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10
Q

Why is it quicker for D to choose to have the trial in the Magistrates Court?

A

There is usually a longer wait for the Crown Court (currently 250 days) and if no bail is given, the waiting time is spent in prison. Procedure is also simpler in the Magistrates Court and a trial rarely takes longer than half a day compared to several days in the Crown Court.

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11
Q

Why are limits on sentencing an advantage of choosing the Magistrates Court?

A

Magistrates can give a max sentence of 6 months for 1 offence or 12 months for 2 or more offences compared to much greater possible sentences in the Crown Court.

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12
Q

Why is local knowledge an advantage of choosing the Magistrates Court?

A

This can be advantageous in offences like driving incidents if the Magistrates deal with lots of similar offences in an area that is particularly hard to drive in. This means they might be more lenient.

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13
Q

Why is D more likely to be acquitted in the Crown Court?

A

It is a trial in front of 12 ordinary people who are much more likely to sympathise with the defendant. Juries acquit 35% of the time. Factors like directed acquittals and witnesses not showing up mean 60% of defendants who plead not guilty are acquitted in the Crown Court compared to only 15% in the Magistrates Court.

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14
Q

Why is legal aid an advantage of choosing the Crown Court?

A

It is very difficult to get legal aid in the Magistrates Court and it can make a big difference to a less well-off defendant.

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15
Q

Why are lawyers at the Crown Court generally more experienced?

A

The legal representative at the Crown Court must have a certificate of advocacy giving the right to present cases at the Crown Court so has to be well qualified.

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16
Q

Why can it be an advantage for D to serve time on remand if they are likely to receive a custodial sentence?

A

There is a longer waiting time for the Crown Court meaning D is in remand for longer. Any time served on remand is taken off a custodial sentence and prisoners on remand have better rights, more visits etc. than a convicted prisoner.

17
Q

What is the procedure for an indictable offence?

A

D is charged with an indictable offence, appears before the Magistrates and enters a plea. Magistrates deal with any preliminary issues like legal representation and bail and then the case is referred to the Crown Court for a case management hearing where a date is set for trial. At the trial, the jury decide the verdict and if guilty, the judge decides the sentence.

18
Q

What percentage of criminal cases does the Crown Court hear?

A

Less than 3%

19
Q

Which court and who specifically hears a D’s appeal against either conviction or sentence from the Magistrates Court? When can D do this?

A

The Crown Court- 1 judge and 2 magistrates.
D has an automatic right of appeal from the Magistrates Court.

20
Q

What can the Crown Court do to D’s conviction from the Magistrates Court?

A
  • Uphold it
  • Quash it
  • Vary it downwards (e.g. ABH down to battery)
21
Q

What can the Crown Court do to D’s sentence from the Magistrates Court?

A
  • Uphold it
  • Decrease it
  • Increase it to the magistrates’ max sentencing powers
22
Q

Where does a D’s appeal from the Crown Court go and what do they need to do this?

A

To the Court of Appeal where 3 Lord Justices of Appeal will hear the case. D needs leave from a Justice of Appeal first.

23
Q

What can’t the Court of Appeal do to D’s sentence?

A

Increase it.

24
Q

When can D appeal to the Supreme Court if they are unhappy with a decision from the Court of Appeal?

A

If the case raises a matter of general public importance.

25
Q

Which case is an example of an appeal against a conviction?

A

R v George- the Court of Appeal quashed D’s conviction the second time and ordered a retrial without the forensic evidence. This was because they decided the forensic evidence used in the original trial wasn’t relevant as there was no proof the gunshot residue came from the murder weapon.

26
Q

Which cases are examples of appeals against a sentence?

A

R v Herbert and others- the CoA reduced D’s sentence by 9 months as they decided the judge in the original trial hadn’t given enough consideration to D’s guilty plea.
R v Philpott- the CoA upheld Mairead’s sentence as they decided it was the right sentence.

27
Q

What can the Prosecution appeal against?

A
  • Against a judge’s ruling that stops the case (directed acquittal).
  • Against an acquittal if there was suspected jury nobbling, asking for the acquittal to be quashed and for a retrial. Or they will ask for a retrial if new and compelling evidence comes to light.
  • By referring a point of law if they think the judge has made a mistake. This asks the Attorney General to clarify the point of law for future cases.
  • Against an unduly lenient sentence.
28
Q

What is either the Prosecution or D claiming in a case stated appeal?

A

That the law has been misapplied or misunderstood.

29
Q

Which court hears case stated appeals and what powers does it have?

A

Queen’s Bench Division and they can confirm the point of law, reverse it and or remit it back to the original court after the law has been reversed.

30
Q

When will a case stated appeal go to the Supreme Court?

A

If either the Prosecution or D is unhappy about the decision made by the QBD and the point of law is of general public importance. They need leave to do this.

31
Q

What happened in the Jon Platt case?

A

It was a case about paying penalties for taking children out of school for a holiday. The Supreme Court reversed the law to say that regular attendance meant in line with school rules and so D had to pay the fine.

32
Q

Which case is an example of when the Prosecution could have appealed about a directed acquittal?

A

R v Counsell.

33
Q

Which case is an example of when the Prosecution appealed about the fear of jury nobbling?

A

PC Andrew Harper Case.

34
Q

Which case is an example of when the Prosecution appealed against an acquittal due to new and compelling evidence?

A

Dobson and Norris being found guilty after a retrial for their part in the Stephen Lawrence murder after advances in forensic technology.

35
Q

Which case is an example of when the Prosecution appealed by referring a point of law?

A

Attorney General’s Ref No 3 1994 that said that it was murder to cause a baby to die after it is born, even if the injuries were done when the baby was a foetus.

36
Q

Which case is an example of the Prosecution appealing against an unduly lenient sentence?

A

R v Yates where the gun supplier’s sentence increased from 7 to 12 years.