The Crown Court

What the The Crown Court does

The Crown Court tries indictable-only offences such as murder, rape and robbery, either-way offences sent up because the magistrates' powers are insufficient or because the defendant elected jury trial, and it sentences defendants committed for sentence. It hears appeals from the magistrates' court by way of a complete rehearing before a judge and magistrates. The judge decides the law, admissibility and directions; the jury decides guilt on the facts. Confiscation proceedings, restraint orders and a range of ancillary orders also sit here.

What it hears

• Indictable-only offences — murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, serious drugs and firearms
• Either-way offences sent up or elected for jury trial
• Sentencing of defendants committed from the magistrates' court
• Appeals against magistrates' court conviction and sentence — a full rehearing
• Confiscation, restraint and ancillary orders after conviction

Before your first court date

Instruct a solicitor early and apply for legal aid — the Crown Court means test works differently from the magistrates' court, and contributions may be payable and refundable if you are acquitted. Read the served evidence properly with your lawyer, including unused material, and give clear written instructions on the facts you dispute. Plea timing matters financially and practically: credit for a guilty plea is highest at the first opportunity and reduces as the trial approaches. Keep every court date free, tell your lawyer immediately if your contact details or bail address change, and comply with every bail condition to the letter.

What happens at your first appearance

The first Crown Court hearing is usually a plea and trial preparation hearing. The indictment is put and you enter your pleas. On a not guilty plea the judge sets a trial date and timetable and identifies the real issues; on a guilty plea the judge sentences, often after a pre-sentence report. Trials themselves follow a set order — jury sworn, prosecution case, defence case, speeches, the judge's directions, then deliberation. Court days are long and often involve waiting; bring what you need and expect the timetable to move.

What to prepare

• Your legal aid paperwork and evidence of income for the means assessment
• A written account of events for your lawyer, prepared as early as memory is fresh
• Names and contact details of witnesses who support your account
• Character references, and evidence of employment, study or caring responsibilities
• Medical or psychiatric evidence relevant to the offence or to sentence

When to get legal advice

This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Crown Court cases are not sensibly run without a lawyer — the rules of evidence, the tactical decisions and the sentencing exposure are all beyond a self-represented defendant in practice. If you are waiting for legal aid, or want a second opinion on advice you have been given, information first is still worth having. Legal Hotline's free line explains the process any hour on 0800 007 4103, and a one-hour consultation with a UK solicitor (£145, a fixed fee) can be booked right on the call.

Where it is

Official sources