What is the difference between crown court and magistrates court

It is here that a Judge will decide your sentencing if pleading guilty or you will be subject to a trial with a jury, and these things could not happen at a Magistrates court. What is the difference between a Magistrates Court and a Crown Court? Answered by Lily O. Need help with Law?

Cases at Crown Court are tried by a jury, consisting of 12 people from the general public. A judge decides on matters of law during the trial, such as whether certain evidence is allowed to be presented, and also makes sure the trial proceeds in a fair way. The jury decides whether the offender is guilty or not guilty. If found guilty, the judge decides what penalty should be given. Skip to search. Help for victims - Victims' entitlements under the code - Glossary - Question Other Resource.

Before , the highest court of appeal in England and Wales was the House of Lords. Since then, this function has belonged to the Supreme Court. It consists of twelve Judges commonly referred to as Law Lords, overseen by the President currently Baroness Hale of Richmond, the first woman to hold the office and a Deputy currently Lord Mance.

Normally the Judges of this court sit as a bench of five, though in particularly challenging or important cases this can be expanded to a bench of seven or nine.

The Supreme Court will only hear cases which turn on a point of law, with the added threshold that it must be of general public importance. Although the Supreme Court cannot overturn primary legislation as courts can in other jurisdictions, like the USA it can overturn secondary legislation which is found to be ultra vires, or outside the powers granted by primary legislation.

It can also reinterpret, or change altogether, certain positions at common law. Cases which reach the Supreme Court are therefore likely to have far-reaching ramifications for the rest of the criminal justice system and criminal practice. Find out more about the Supreme Court here. The National Probation Service works with offenders to address the underlying causes of their behaviour. They administer a range of penalties and remedies, including curfews with or without electronic tags , unpaid work or rehabilitation activity requirements RAR.

You will come to know them very well at the junior end of the Criminal Bar.