Crown Court Representation

The most serious and most important cases in this country are heard before a judge and jury in the Crown Court. While some cases can only be dealt with in one court or other, the majority of offences may be tried in either venue. Whenever a case is so serious that the Magistrates’ Court do not consider their sentencing powers to be sufficient, they will commit a case to the Crown Court. Equally, for this type of offence the accused person will retain the right to elect a trial by jury should they so desire, regardless of what decision the Magistrates’ Court makes. This is a fundamental right and remains a vital pillar of our criminal justice system. The decision as to whether to elect a Crown Court trial, or whether to consent to trial in the Magistrates’ Court, is of fundamental importance and can have far reaching consequences. Accordingly, reliable legal advice on this issue is absolutely essential.

Trials in front of juries proceed in a different way to those in the Magistrates' Court as the functions of the Crown Court are divided between judge and jury. It is essential to have an advocate who is adept at addressing them both and whose powers of persuasion are honed by experience. Our team includes solicitors with higher rights of audience which qualifies them to conduct cases in the Crown Court. In addition, we have strong links with barristers’ chambers all over the country and so, in any given situation, we are confident we can provide the right advocate for you. Different cases require different skills to conduct well and every advocate has his own particular strengths, whether it be in jury persuasion, in assimilating vast amounts of information quickly and mastering a complex case, or in presenting detailed legal arguments in support of their client. As well as advocacy in court, it is also essential for your legal representative to have the knowledge, the experience and the expertise in negotiating on your behalf so as to secure favorable deals where possible. Bearing all of this in mind, we have put together an expert team of lawyers so that you can rest assured that you need only contact one firm to be assured that we will assign you the best possible advocate for your particular case.

If your case is one which will, or may, proceed to the Crown Court we are able to provide advice and assistance from an early stage to ensure the best decisions are made and that the proper steps are taken to prepare and present your case in the best possible manner. We can advise on whether a Crown Court trial is available to you and what considerations you should bear in mind when making that decision. We can also advise you on the procedure and make representations to the court on your behalf to ensure your interests are protected. If your case does go to the Crown Court we will instruct an advocate with the knowledge, the experience and the expertise to manage and conduct your case effectively so as to give you the best possible prospects of success. We know that the stakes can be high in the Crown Court and that the experience can be very stressful for a Defendant and their family, so we aim to provide you with support and information throughout so that the process itself is as easy as it possibly can be.

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