Criminal courts

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Crown Court

A Crown Court:

  • normally has a jury which decides if you’re guilty or not (the ‘verdict’)
  • has a judge who decides what punishment (or ‘sentence’) you get

Your solicitor (if you have one) can explain what happens in court - the judge and court staff will also give instructions about the trial.

Find a Crown Court.

You can see what cases a court is hearing each day and check their progress on the court lists.

Cases a Crown Court deals with

A Crown Court deals with serious criminal cases, for example:

  • murder
  • rape
  • robbery

It also deals with:

  • appeals against a magistrates’ court conviction or sentence
  • cases passed from a magistrates’ court for trial or sentencing

Sentences a Crown Court can give

A Crown Court can give a range of sentences including:

Appealing your sentence or conviction

You may be able to appeal against the Crown Court verdict if you disagree with it.

Asking for a sentence to be reviewed

You can ask for a Crown Court sentence review for certain types of cases if the sentence seems too low. Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed - you do not have to be involved in the case.