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www.city.ac.uk/law

World-class legal education

in the heart of London

Bar Vocational Course

Criminal Litigation & SentencingLarge Group Session No. 2

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Objectives

To understand:

Consequences of failure to attendcourt

Consequences of breach of bailconditions

Determination of mode oftrial for either-way

offences (including plea before venue)

Summarytrial ofadults

How summarytrial ofyoungdefendants differs

from summarytrial ofadults

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Notaccordingto plan

Youarrive atthe Magistrates Court

ready forthe start ofa summarytrial.

Buttheres a problem. Yourclient,whowas granted bail onthe last occasion,

has notturnedup.

1. Whatare the possible consequences for

yourclient?

2. Whatdo youdo?

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Failure to Surrender

Benchwarrant (backed/not backed for bail)BCP D7.71-74

Guidance (Thomas LJ)

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/docs/judgments_guidance/protocols/bail_trials_absence.pdf:

Warningletters should be used ratherthanwarrants backed

for bail inany event, should be uncommoncases,as court

shouldusuallyissue awarrant (not backed for bail) orproceedinabsence of D;

Should be unusual for D to be re-bailed on same conditions;

Proper evidence is requiredif D claims he is unfitto attend

court.

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Consequences of failure to surrender

(contd) Trialinthe absence ofthe accused: MCA 1980, s 11 unless it

appears to the courtto be contraryto the interests of justice,

court must proceedin Ds absence.Court mustnot proceedin

absence of D ifthere appears to be anacceptable reason for

his failure to appear (s 11(2A))

Separate offence of failingto surrender (BailAct, s 6;

Consolidated PD , para 56); R v White [2003] 2CrApp R (S) 29

(BCP D7.83-84); Sentencing Guidelines Councildefinitive

guidance on sentencing for failure to surrender: http://www.sentencing-

guidelines.gov.uk/docs/Fail%20to%20Surrender%20to%20B

ail.pdf

Consequences forlatercases involving D

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Sentencing range

Nature of failure & harm Starting point Sentencing range

Deliberate failure to attend

causingdelayand/orinterference withthe

administration of justice.

14 days custody

Crown Court

Community order (medium)

40 weeks custodyMagistrates courts

Community order (low) 10

weeks custody

Negligent ornon-deliberate

failure to attendcausingdelayand/orinterference withthe

administration of justice.

Fine Fine Community order(medium)

Surrenders late onday but

case proceeds as planned.Fine Fine

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Factors

Additionalaggravating

factors

1. Lengthyabsence2. Serious attempts to evade justice

3. Determinedattempt seriouslytoundermine the course of justice

4. Previous relevantconvictions and/or

repeated breach ofcourt orders or policebail

Additionalmitigating

factors

1. Promptvoluntary surrender

When not amounting to a defence:

2. Misunderstanding3.A failure to comprehend bail significanceor requirements

4.Caring responsibilities

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Breach of bailconditions

BA 1976, s 7(3):where a personhas been bailedto attendacourt,a police officer mayarresthim withoutwarrant priorto thebaildate if:

(a) the officerhas reasonable grounds for believingthathe is notlikelyto surrenderto custody; or

(b) the officerhas reasonable grounds for believingthathe eitherhas broken oris likelyto breakanycondition ofhis bail; or

(c) a suretyhas givenwrittennotice to the police thatthe personbailedis unlikelyto surrenderto custodyand forthat reasonthesuretywishes to be relieved ofhis obligations.

Section 7(4): followingarrestunder s 7(3), person must bebrought before a magistrate as soonas practicable and,inanyevent,within24 hours (excluding Sundays)

See R (DPP) v Havering Magistrates' Court[2001] 1 WLR 805;R (Vickers) v West London Magistrates' Court(2003) 167 JP473 (BCP D7.79-81)

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Classification of offences

Is the offence summary, either-way orindictable-only?

Whatthe quickestwayto find out?

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Mode oftrial procedure

Advance information request?

CrimPR, Pt21; BCP D6.4-6.9

Lack of sanction:R (AP, MD, JS) (2001) 165 JP

684 Para 57 ofA-Gs guidelines (BCP, App. 5)

Determining mode oftrial: see BCP D6.10-

30 Indication of plea (plea before venue):

Guilty sentencing stage

Notguilty/no indication mode oftrial:-

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Prosecution representations (including Ds

previous convictions)

Defence representations Benchdecide whethercase suitable for

summarytrial

Mode of Trial Guidelines inConsolidatedPractice Direction, section 51 (BCP App 7) (cf.

Sentencing Guidelines Council allocation

guidelines:BCP D6.28) Key question:adequacy of sentencing powers

Presumptionin favour of summarytrial (N.B.Criminal

Justice and ImmigrationAct2008 restores power of

committal for sentence afterconviction followingtrial,which

was to have beenabolished byCJA2003)

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If mags decide case not suitable for summarytrial

(they decline jurisdiction),case sentto Crown

Court fortrial (transferunderCDA 1998, s 51) If mags decide case suitable for summarytrial: D

is askedwhetherhe consents to summarytrial

Before answering, D may seekanindication of

sentence (custodial ornot) thatwould be passedifhe consents to summarytrialand pleads guilty [CJA

2003]

If D does notconsentto summarytrial,case sentto

CrownCourt fortrial (transferunderCDA 1998, s51,as amended byCJA2003)

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Advisingthe defendant on mode

oftrial

Are the magistrates likelyto accept jurisdiction

(thatis,decide that summarytrialis suitable)?

If so, shouldyourclientagree to summarytrial?

Ifthe magistrates are notlikelyto agree to

summarytrial, shouldyoutryto persuade them

to accept jurisdiction?

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Mags or Crown Court?

CrownCourttrial:

Higherchance ofacquittal

Better for points oflaw, esp.admissibility of

evidence (since triers oflawand factare split),

butN.B. mags powerto make binding pre-trial

rulings underthe MCA 1980, s 8A

Prosecutionwitness statements (butdefence

can obtainthese through AdvanceInformation)

Risk ofhigher sentence

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Pros & cons ofMags Ct trial

Lowerchance ofacquittal (e.g. mags more likelyto

believe police, case-hardened)

Trial shorter,less formal (andcheaper relevant

to D ifno legalaid) Limit on sentence

underCJA2003, mags powers to be increased

to 12 months for one either-way offence (65

weeks for more than one offence)

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CPS figures 2007-08

Annex A:Casework Statistics inthe CPS AnnualReport for2007-08:http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/reports/2007/annex_a.html

Mags: ofdefendants pleadingnotguilty, 63%were convictedand 37%were acquitted(comparedwith 64%and 36% respectivelyin

both2006-07 and2005-06).CrownCt: ofdefendants pleadingnotguilty, 54%

were convictedand 46%were acquitted(comparedwith 54%:46%in2006-07 and

55%:45%in2005-06).

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In2007-08, 89% ofcases were sentto the

CrownCourt fortrial because the

magistrates declined jurisdiction (with only

11%goingto the CrownCourt because of

defendantchose trial onindictment).

These figures are very similarto those for

2006-07 (90%:10%) and2005-06(91%:9%).

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Evidence ata summarytrial

What evidence willthe prosecutionwant

to call?

live witnesses witness statements to be readto the court

real evidence (exhibits)

What evidence willthe defence wantto

call?

shouldthe defendanttestify?

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Summarytrial outline

Prosecution opening speech Live witnesses/witness statements

Defence objections to prosecution evidence

Submission ofno case to answer (BCP D21.39-42)

Defence evidence (N.B. risk ofadverse inferences if D

doesnttestify - CJPOA 1994, s 35)

Defence closing speech

Ver dict

See generallyCrimPR Pt 37

Role ofclerk/courtlegaladviser (Consolidated PD,

section 55):BCP D21.51-56

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CrimPR Part 37.1(1) Onthe summarytrial ofaninformation,where the accused

does not pleadguilty,the prosecutor shallcallthe evidence forthe prosecution,and before doing so mayaddress the court.

(2) Atthe conclusion ofthe evidence forthe prosecution,theaccused mayaddress the court,whether ornothe afterwardscalls evidence.

(3) Atthe conclusion ofthe evidence,ifany, forthe defence,theprosecutor maycall evidence to rebutthat evidence.

(4) Atthe conclusion ofthe evidence forthe defence andtheevidence,ifany,in rebuttal,the accused mayaddress thecourtifhe has notalreadydone so.

(5) Either party may,withthe leave ofthe court,address thecourta secondtime, butwhere the courtgrants leave to onepartyit shallnot refuse leave to the other.

(6) Where both parties address the courttwice the prosecutorshalladdress the court forthe secondtime before the accused

does so.

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Procedure followingguiltyverdict

Ifverdictis guilty:

? Pre-sentence report on D

Pleain mitigation bydefence Sentence passed by Mags

Possible committal for sentence (under PCC(S)A

2000, s 3) [powerto commitaftertrialwas to be

abolished byCJA2003 butthis was reversed byCriminal Justice and ImmigrationAct2008]

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Procedure onaguilty plea

Summary of facts by prosecution

?Committal for sentence (if serious either-

way offence) ?Adjourn for pre-sentence report

Pleain mitigation bydefence

Sentence

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Juveniles key points

Normaldistinction betweenindictable and

non-indictable offences does notapply:

youthcourtcantryindictable-only offences

(excepthomicide) Trial process inthe youthcourtis less formal

(e.g.courtroom layout no dock,accused

sits near parentandadvocate; publicexcluded from courtroom; use of firstnames

for juvenile accusedandwitnesses) and

magistrates have to be speciallytrained.

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Next Crim Lit Large Group:

Juveniles; Disclosure

Blackstones Criminal Practice 2009

D23: Juveniles

D9: Disclosure