Magistrates notes

Magistrates

• deals with civil cases as well as criminal
• maximum sentencing of up to 6 months for 1 offence
• have to apply to become a magistrate
• they are lay people
• magistrate court- sit on bench
• sit in thier local area-local knowledge
• all cases start in the magistrates and then get transferred
• 96% of all criminal cases
• duties-bail decisions-sentencing-fine-transfer-listening to cases
• some crimes are too serious to be heard
• lesten to evidence before giving a verdict
• deaql with-family disputes,shop lifting
• required to give full reasons for thier decision
• come from wide range of occupations to achieve a balanced bench in terms of age race gender and political view
• required to sit for 26 half days
• different stages to on…