role

• How many sessions per year do they sit?

  26 as a bench of 3
• what does the bench includes?

  chairman and the 2 wingmen who tend to be less experienced
• What do magistrates recieve even though they are not legally qualified?

  training
• Who are they assisted by?

  a qualified legal advisor
• What does the qualified legal advisor do?

  provides advice on points of law, procedure and sentencing
• What can the legal advisor not do?

  make decisions
• What is the legal advisor responsible for?

  administrative tasks such as: all paperwork and exhibits are ready, reading out charges, forms for legal funding and bail
• What type of cases begin in the magistrates court and what is the %?

  criminal cases with 97% fully dealt with there
• What type of offences do magistrates hear?

  summary offences: littering, speeding, common assault

  either way offences: theft
• What happens if D pleads not guilty?

  a trial takes place where lay magustrates listen to the evidence presented by both the defence and prosecution. They then retire to consider a verdict of guilty or not guilty
• What happens if D pleads guilty?

  they pass a sentence eg: prison, fine, discharges, community orders
• What rae other roles of lay magistrates?

  granting or refusing bail, conducting committal proceedings and transferring indictable cases to the Crown Court
• where do trianed lay magstrates sit and what type of cases do they hear?

  private Youth courts hearing cases against 10-17 year olds
• Appeals

  join Circuit Judges at the Crown Court to hear appeals from the Magistartes Court
• What do lay magistartes do outside of court?

  issue police warrants for search and arrest, approve further detention at police station (96 hous max)