2008-09 crim lit lgs2
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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
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