A Typical Trial

Magistrates' courts start between 9.30am and 10.30am and you need to be there 30 minutes beforehand. You usually sit as a bench of three:

The court Chairman – an experienced magistrate who sits in the middle
The wingers - two other magistrates who sit on either side
All three have equal decision making responsibility but the Chairman addresses and controls the court.

The Legal Adviser, who's there to tell you the status of the case (for example, whether this is a first hearing and whether everyone is ready) and help with any points of law and procedure, usually sits just in front of the three magistrates.

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The prosecution is the first to put its case. This is normally presented by the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS). After the prosecution, the defence lawyer addresses the court. Not all defendants are legally represented, however, so the defendant could be presenting their own case.

At the end of the trial, you leave the courtroom to consider your decision and to record the reasons for it. The verdict is then read out in court, followed by the past record, if any, of the defendant. The defendant's personal circumstances, and anything else that might be useful in deciding what sentence should be imposed, are also heard at this point. You then leave the courtroom again to decide on the next step, perhaps to request a report, or maybe to proceed to sentencing.

Throughout the trial, your task is to listen carefully to all that is said in court and to make appropriate decisions as part of a team. You have to think about all the evidence given, decide what is relevant and, if different stories are told, who you believe in an unbiased manner. When someone has pleaded or been found guilty you have to think about how to deal with the offender and consider the:

• punishment of offenders.
• reduction of crime.
• reform and rehabilitation of offenders.
• protection of the public.
• making of reparation by offenders.
• those affected by their offences.