- Intermediate/Introductory *12 hours CPD
This is a structured two day course designed for those practitioners wishing to gain a good practical grounding in this field. It is suitable for Trainees, Newly Qualified solicitors and paralegals who have had little or no grounding at the academic stage, for those returning after a career break and those wishing to change specialisms.
Introductory concepts
- Commencing a prosecution
- Ethics
- Basic Criminal evidence
- Human Rights and its relationship to criminal practice
The Legal Services Commission and Criminal Defence Service
- The Criminal Defence Service
- The Legal Help Scheme
- The Duty Solicitor service-at court and at the police station
- Funding in court
Police Powers
- PACE Codes of Practice
- Detention and arrestable/serious arrestable offences
- Confessions, s76 and s78 PACE
Criminal Procedures
I) Allocation of offences across the criminal courts Summary-only, either-way and indictable - only offences Mode of Trial
II) Bail
- Rights to bail
- Bail at the police station
- Bail at court
- Applying for bail
- Steps to be taken where bail is refused
Trials
I)Trials in the Magistrates' court
- Pre-trial matters
- Disclosure
- The role of the magistrates
- Order of events at trial
II) Trials in the Crown Court
- Pre-trial matters
- Disclosure
- The order of events at trial
- Separate functions of judge and jury
III) Newton hearings
Sentencing
- Sentencing options in the criminal courts
- Custodial sentences
- Sentencing policy
- Pleas in Mitigation
Appeals
- Appeals from the Magistrates' Court
- Appeals from the Crown Court