Advice Articles

Aim of this information The purpose of this information is to set out who might be eligible for legal aid, and also to look at who might be subject to paying for their legal aid costs. Why is this important? We believe that everybody should have the right to legal representation before they accept a […]

Introduction Going to court, particularly for the first time, can be a rather daunting experience. There is a number of useful resources linked to below that you should take a look at if you want to know more about going to court. Useful resources Film by Raising Your Game – ‘Getting ready for court’ The […]

General The law of disclosure in criminal proceedings applies to all prosecutions, including private prosecutions. Under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, previous convictions of prosecution witnesses must be disclosed to the defence if they satisfy the test of being reasonably capable of undermining the case for the prosecution against the accused, or assisting […]

To some people’s surprise, not all court proceedings are recorded and/or transcribed. For example, no formal records of Magistrate Court hearings are kept. Obviously, the outcome of these hearings are detailed, but the actual proceedings cannot be replicated as they are recorded. The original material (the shorthand notes, tape recordings, etc.) of any Crown Court trial […]

Since October 2012, a new system of imposing a victim surcharge has been in force. The previous regime involved a £15 surcharge on all convicted individuals where a financial penalty was imposed. The new regime will see the surcharge levied on all those convicted in the courts of any criminal offence. The sums involved will […]