{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-rules-2025/rule-2.7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-rules-2025/rule-2.7.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2025/909",
  "legislation_title": "The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-rules-2025",
  "path": "rule/2.7",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "2.7",
  "heading": "Exercise of functions of the Crown Court",
  "text": "(1) This rule provides for the exercise by an authorised court officer of relevant judicial functions of the Crown Court in a criminal cause or matter.\n(2) Subject to rule 2.4 and to paragraph (3) of this rule, an authorised court officer may—\n(a) determine an application to extend a time limit set by a rule or by a judge, including a time limit for the conduct of confiscation proceedings, unless the effect would be—\n(i) to affect the date of any hearing that has been fixed, including a trial, or\n(ii) significantly to affect the progress of the case in any other way;\n(b) give a live link direction under section 51 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 for the participation of a defendant in custody in a preliminary hearing, a sentencing hearing or an enforcement hearing;\n(c) exercise the court’s functions listed in rule 23.2 (Appointment of advocate to cross-examine witness) and select such an advocate as that rule describes (but a court officer may not decline to select such an advocate where that rule applies);\n(d) issue a summons under section 80 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 in proceedings to which rule 32.2 applies (application, etc. in relation to the breach, revocation or amendment of a community or other order); and\n(e) amend the local justice area named in the order on receipt of a notice from the responsible officer—\n(i) in respect of a community order under paragraph 16(3) of Schedule 10 to the Sentencing Act 2020, or\n(ii) in respect of a suspended sentence order under paragraph 23(3) of Schedule 16 to the 2020 Act.\n(3) An authorised court officer may not exercise a function of the court in a case in which a judge so directs.\n(4) Paragraph (5) of this rule applies where a party or an advocate appointed under rule 23.2 (Appointment of advocate to cross-examine witness) wants a judge to reconsider a decision made by an authorised court officer.\n(5) Such a party or advocate must—\n(a) apply for such a reconsideration as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any event no later than the earlier of—\n(i) the next hearing before a judge, or\n(ii) the tenth business day after the date on which notice of the decision is served on the applicant;\n(b) unless the application is made at a hearing, serve the application on—\n(i) the court officer, and\n(ii) each other party (if any) affected by the decision; and\n(c) in the application—\n(i) specify the decision in issue,\n(ii) explain why it is appropriate for the decision to be reconsidered and what decision the applicant thinks would be appropriate, and\n(iii) ask for a hearing, if one is wanted, and explain why it is needed.\n(6) The judge may determine the application—\n(a) at a hearing (which may be in public or private), or without a hearing; and\n(b) in the absence of—\n(i) the applicant,\n(ii) each other party (if any) affected by the decision.\n(7) But the judge must not determine the application in the absence of an affected party unless that party has had—\n(a) such notice as the nature and urgency of the application permits; and\n(b) a reasonable opportunity to make representations.\n[Note. See also—\n(a) rule 2.4, which makes general rules about the exercise of judicial functions by authorised court officers;\n(b) rule 2.10, which provides for extension of the time limit under this rule; and\n(c) rule 3.6 (Application to vary a direction).\nFor the constitution and powers of the Crown Court, see the note to rule 25.1 (Trial and sentence in the Crown Court; When this Part applies).]",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Rule 2.7 in force at 6.10.2025, see Preamble"
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "2003 c. 44; section 51 was substituted by section 200 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "1981 c. 54; section 80 was amended by section 41 of, and paragraph 54 of Schedule 3 to, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "2020 c. 17; paragraph 16 of Schedule 10 was amended by section 151 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "2020 c. 17; paragraph 23 of Schedule 16 was amended by section 151 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "word inserted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2026/721",
      "affecting_title": "The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "word omitted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2026/721",
      "affecting_title": "The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/909/rule/2.7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T21:12:44.140935+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}