These explainers illustrate our role, how we make our decisions and how we work in partnership with organisations across the criminal justice system.

Jul 9, 2025 · Understanding how it operates is essential for anyone involved in legal proceedings, whether as a defendant, victim, or witness. This guide explores the key stages of the UK …

1 day ago · This crisis has prompted the government to announce radical reforms to the criminal courts, including removing juries - a fundamental part of our criminal justice system - from a …

Three criminal justice jurisdictions, with different histories, structures and operations, cover the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Criminal cases are heard in either a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court. Cases with defendants between 10-17 years-old are heard in a youth court, which are set up similarly to a …

Judges and magistrates play a vital role in the criminal justice system. Criminal cases come to court after a decision has been made by, usually the Crown Prosecution Service, to prosecute …

Jul 11, 2025 · The criminal justice system of the United Kingdom is the collective body responsible for administrating justice in the UK, and consists of various institutions such as the …

This system operates within a constitutional framework where the powers are distributed among three branches: the Judiciary, the Legislature (Parliament), and the Executive (Government).

Jan 15, 2025 · The collective term for public bodies, such as the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the courts, HM Prison Service and the Probation Service. These organisations work …

Jan 11, 2022 · This Library Briefing provides information on the system for investigating and prosecuting criminal cases. It outlines each stage of the process up to the point of conviction …