How long can a magistrates court sentence you for?
How long can a magistrates court sentence you for?
If the case is to be dealt within a magistrates’ court, the defendant(s) are asked to enter a plea. If they plead guilty or are later found to be guilty, the magistrates can impose a sentence, generally of up to six months’ imprisonment for a single offence (12 months in total), or a fine of an unlimited amount.
What does a magistrate take into account when sentencing?
The kind of factors the judge or magistrates will consider will include seriousness of the offence, harm caused to the victim, the offender’s level of blame, their criminal record, their personal circumstances and whether they have pleaded guilty.
What sentences can Magistrates Court give?
Sentencing in magistrates’ courts Magistrates have sentencing powers that allow them to impose a range of sentences, including unlimited fines, bans, community orders and up to six months’ custody for a single offence and 12 months in total.
What is the longest sentence a magistrates can give?
Sentences a magistrates’ court can give
- up to 6 months in prison (or up to 12 months in total for more than one offence)
- a fine.
- a community sentence, like doing unpaid work in the community.
- a ban, for example from driving or keeping an animal.
What happens if I plead guilty at Magistrates Court UK?
A sentence is the punishment you will get if you are found guilty or you plead guilty. Your sentence could be a fine, a community sentence, a driving disqualification, prison time or something else. be punished, and you could be sent to prison.
What happens if I plead not guilty at Magistrates Court UK?
If you plead not guilty your case will go to trial. At a trail, the prosecution will have to prove that you are guilty of the offence and will present evidence to the court. The magistrates or, if you are in Crown Court, the jury will decide whether the prosecution has proved that you are guilty.
How many magistrates judges are there in the UK?
There are just over 16,000 magistrates, 140 district judges and 170 deputy district judges operating in the roughly 330 magistrates’ courts throughout England and Wales.
What is a magistrate in Family Proceedings Court?
Magistrates in Family Proceedings Courts. Magistrates undergo extensive training before they sit in Family Proceedings Courts where procedures are very different from the criminal courts; the court setting is much more informal and ideally takes place with parties seated around a large table.
What kind of cases do Magistrates Courts deal with?
Magistrates deal with three kinds of cases: Summary offences. Either-way offences. Indictable-only offences, such as murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery.
What happens if a defendant pleads guilty in a Magistrates Court?
If the case is to be dealt within a magistrates’ court, the defendant (s) are asked to enter a plea. If they plead guilty or are later found to be guilty, the magistrates can impose a sentence, generally of up to six months’ imprisonment for a single offence (12 months in total), or a fine of an unlimited amount.
