English Legal System Course Work Id 1414686 - 1467 Words

English legal system course work ID 1414686 My visit on the 15/12/14 at the Croydon magistrate court was to observe the court proceedings and how the civil and criminal justices system operates in England and wales. Also how magistrates and judges decides cases and why they arrived at certain decision. I arrived earlier in court pass the security checks and went in the court office and explain my purposed of visit. I attended court number eleven which was very busy with cases that day. Court commence at exactly ten in the morning, the presiding magistrate Mr Knowles and two other magistrates, they are also known as justices of the peace, section 121 magistrates court Act 1980. The two other magistrates are Miss Gostic and Miss†¦show more content†¦After reading the charges against the defendant, the presiding magistrates ask the defendant if he understanding the charges against him. And also if he is going to plead guilty or not guilty. In this cases the defendant entered into an early plea of all the charges against him. Early plea in any cases in the UK and Wales is very significant. One it quick, it’s save time and money Wolf Report. The magistrate then commence sentencing hearing. He first consult the court assistance and in sentencing the magistrate has to consider the guide line sentencing council 2010. Because of this cases is an early plea case, the magistrate has to consider the gravity of the case and the circumstances of the accuser. In carrying out the sentencing the judge told the defendant that the offence he committed was enough to send him to prison, but because he pleaded guilty he will reduce his sentence to twenty months of not drinking any vehicles in the United Kingdom and Wales he should also be given two years’ probation period. In this time he should not committed any crime or be seen in any crime scene. He will be arrested and send to jail if he break his probation rules. Normally in this types of case the defendant should have been sentence to at least six month s in prison but because of the early plea and the circumstance of the defendant that makes the magistrates to give him lesser sentences. Another very important thing in this cases was, this is the first time the accuser has