Attending Court
- what this means and what will be expected of you
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Croydon Youth Offending Team |
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Attending Court - what this means and what will be expected of you |
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On this page:What happens in Court? TOPWhat happens in Court?The Youth Court in Croydon is within the Magistrates’ Court, which is on Barclay Road. Usually Courts 1 and 2are dedicated Youth Courts, concentrating on all cases relating to young people. There is a separate entrance for this, which is just before the main entrance on Barclay Rd, going down some steps. The Youth Offending Team has one office on the immediate left of the main entrance in the Court Building reception area, and another one on the floor of the Youth Courts. All cases are listed under the name of the young person facing a criminal charge [the defendant] identifying the Court the case will be heard in. You should go to the waiting area outside the Youth Courts and inform the Usher – a man or woman in a black gown with a clipboard – of your arrival. You will have time to meet with the young person’s Legal Representative before the hearing, in order to ask any questions you may have. If you inform the Usher of your solicitors’ name, they will be able to let them know you are in the building. The Court building has a café for refreshments since you may have a long wait for your case to be heard. However, please let the Usher know if you intend to go to the café so that they can inform you if you are listed to be heard in a certain time. Inside the Court the Magistrates sit together at the front of the Court, called ‘the bench’. One of three will have the role of the Chair of the Bench and it is this Magistrate who will usually speak the most and may ask questions of your solicitor, the young person or indeed, yourself. In front of ‘the bench’ is the Court Clerk, who gives information to the Magistrates when required. Information will also be given to the Magistrates by the Crown Prosecution Service Solicitor, who will be presenting the facts of the case from their point of view. The young persons’ solicitor will respond and any extra information required will be asked for. If the young person pleads ‘Not Guilty’ to the offence they have been charged with, the Court will need to adjourn to arrange a Trial in order for the Magistrates to be able to hear all the evidence of the case and decide on whether to find the young person Guilty [convict them of the offence] or Not Guilty [Acquit them of the offence]. A Pre-Trial Review is often held before the Trial date is arranged. This is where all the legal representatives attend the Court and discuss the case on the young persons’ behalf. The serious nature of some offences may mean that they cannot be dealt with in the Youth Court. On those occasions the Magistrates will transfer the case [Committal] to the local Crown Court where the case will be held in front of a Judge instead of a bench of Magistrates. Trials in Crown Court are heard by a jury of 12 men and women who are ordinary members of the public, with the Judge deciding on matters of law, instead of a bench of Magistrates. If the young person pleads Guilty or is found Guilty, the Court will proceed to deciding on the appropriate way to deal with the young person for the offence [sentence]. The Magistrates may decide on a sentence on the day from the information provided. However, they may ask for a ‘Stand Down’ Report to be prepared. This is where they adjourn the case for a period of time to allow the Youth Offending Team worker to interview the young person and you, in order to prepare a report to give more information to the Magistrates to help with sentencing. Sometimes the Court may decide they need more information than this before deciding on an appropriate sentence. In this case an adjournment, usually of three weeks, will be given for the preparation of a Specific Sentence Report [SSR] if they have a particular sentence under consideration, or a Pre-Sentence Report [PSR] if they would like to consider all community sentences. In the Crown Court, sentencing would always be done with the assistance of a Pre-Sentence Report in order to make sure that the best interests of the young person are served. What will be expected of me?IIt is important that you attend the Court in good time for your scheduled hearing and follow any instructions given by the Court staff. Please try to be patient as the wait to be heard in the Court can sometimes be a long one, especially on exceptionally busy days. On occasions for various reasons, cases may be adjourned to another date. This may mean that you have to come back to the Court on more than one occasion. It is important that you [and the young person] do not leave the Court Building until you are told you are no longer needed. You will need to let the Court know in advance of the hearing date, if you or anyone attending the Court with the young person may need an interpreter, or has a disability or any other special needs. This could be done via your Solicitor or a Youth Offending Team worker if one is allocated. Further Information?The Youth Offending Team have a series of leaflets with information about:
Page last reviewed 8th December 2003 |
| Croydon
Youth Offending Team 14 Whitehorse Road - Croydon - CR0 2JA Telephone: 020 8404 5800 Fax: 020 8404 5810 |