Rule 24.1 When this Part appliesI1
England and Wales
This Part applies in a magistrates’ court where the court tries a case or the defendant pleads guilty.
Where the defendant is under 18, in this Part—
a reference to convicting the defendant includes a reference to finding the defendant guilty of an offence; and
a reference to sentence includes a reference to an order made on a finding of guilt.
[Note. A magistrates’ court’s powers to try an allegation of an offence are contained in section 2 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980f1. In relation to a defendant under 18, they are contained in sections 45, 46 and 48 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933f2.
See also section 18 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963f3, section 47 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998f4 and section 27 of the Sentencing Act 2020f5.
The exercise of the court’s powers is affected by—
the classification of the offence (and the general rule, subject to exceptions, is that a magistrates’ court must try—
an offence classified as one that can be tried only in a magistrates’ court (in other legislation, described as triable only summarily), and
an offence classified as one that can be tried either in a magistrates’ court or in the Crown Court (in other legislation, described as triable either way) that has been allocated for trial in a magistrates’ court); and
the defendant’s age (and the general rule, subject to exceptions, is that an allegation of an offence against a defendant under 18 must be tried in a magistrates’ court sitting as a youth court, irrespective of the classification of the offence and without allocation for trial there).
Under sections 10, 14, 27A, 121 and 148 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980f6 and the Justices of the Peace Rules 2016f7, the court—
must comprise at least two but not more than three justices, or a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) (but a single member can adjourn the hearing);
must not include any member who adjudicated at a hearing to which rule 44.2 applies (defendant’s declaration of no knowledge of hearing);
when reaching a verdict, must not include any member who was absent from any part of the hearing;
when passing sentence, need not include any of the members who reached the verdict (but may do so).
Under section 16A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980f8, the court may comprise a single justice where—
the offence charged is a summary offence not punishable with imprisonment;
the defendant was at least 18 years old when charged or is a corporation;
the court is satisfied that specified documents giving notice of the procedure under that section and containing other specified information have been served on the defendant; and
the defendant has not served notice of an intention to plead not guilty, or of a desire not to be tried in accordance with that section.
Under section 45 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933f9 and under the Justices of the Peace Rules 2016, where the court is a youth court comprising justices each member must be authorised to sit as a member of that youth court.
Under section 150 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980f10, where two or more justices are present one may act on behalf of all.
Section 59 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933f11 requires that—
the expressions ‘conviction’ and ‘sentence’ must not be used by a magistrates’ court dealing with a defendant under 18; and
a reference in legislation to a defendant who is convicted, to a conviction, or to a sentence, must be read as including a reference to a defendant who is found guilty of an offence, a finding of guilt, or an order made on a finding of guilt, respectively.
Under section 14 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, proceedings which begin with a summons or requisition will become void if the defendant, at any time during or after the trial, makes a statutory declaration that he or she did not know of them until a date after the trial began. See rule 44.2.
Under section 142 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980—
where a defendant is convicted by a magistrates’ court, the court may order that the case should be heard again by different justices; and
the court may vary or rescind an order which it has made when dealing with a convicted defendant,
if in either case it appears to the court to be in the interests of justice to do so. See rule 44.3.
See also Part 32 (Breach, revocation and amendment of community and other orders). Rule 32.4 (Procedure on application by responsible officer) applies rules in this Part to the procedure with which that rule deals.]
Annotations
Commencement
Footnotes
- f1
1980 c. 43; section 2 was substituted by section 44 of the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39) and amended by section 41 of, and paragraph 51 of Schedule 3 to, the Criminal Justice 2003 (c. 44).
- f2
1933 c. 12; section 45 was substituted by section 50 of the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39) and amended by section 15 of, and paragraph 20 of Schedule 4 to, the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4); section 46 was amended by section 46 of, and Schedule 7 to, the Justices of the Peace Act 1949 (c. 101), section 72 of, and paragraph 4 of Schedule 5 to, the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (c. 54), section 154 of, and paragraph 6 of Schedule 7 to, the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (c. 43), sections 68 and 100 of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 8 and paragraph 40 of Schedule 11 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53) and section 109 of, and paragraph 74 of Schedule 8 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39); and section 48 was amended by section 79 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1948 (c. 58), section 132 of, and Schedule 6 to, the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1952 (c. 55), section 64 of, and paragraph 12 of Schedule 3 and Schedule 5 to, the Children and Young Persons Act 1963 (c. 37), sections 72, 79 and 83 of, and Schedules 6, 9 and 10 to, the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (c. 54), sections 68 and 100 of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 8 and paragraph 40 of Schedule 11 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53), section 106 of, and Schedule 15 to, the Access to Justice Act 1999 (c. 22) and section 109 of, and paragraph 75 of Schedule 8 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39).
- f3
1963 c. 37; section 18 was amended by section 100 of, and paragraph 40 of Schedule 11 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53) and section 168 of, and paragraph 5 of Schedule 9 to, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c. 33).
- f4
1998 c. 37; section 47 was amended by section 165 of, and Schedule 12 to, the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (c. 6), section 332 of, and Schedule 37 to, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44) and article 2 of, and paragraph 59 of the Schedule to S.I. 2005/886.
- f5
- f6
1980 c. 43; section 10 was amended by section 59 of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 9 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48), section 68 of, and paragraph 6 of Schedule 8 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53) and section 47 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c. 37). Section 14 was amended by section 109 of, and paragraph 205 of Schedule 8 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39). Section 27A was inserted by section 46 of the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39). Section 121 was amended by section 61 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33), section 92 of, and paragraph 8 of Schedule 11 to, the Children Act 1989 (c. 41), section 109 of, and paragraph 237 of Schedule 8 and Schedule 10 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39). Section 148 was amended by section 109 of, and paragraph 248 of Schedule 8 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39).
- f7
- f8
1980 c. 43; section 16A was inserted by section 48 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2).
- f9
1933 c. 12; section 45 was substituted by section 50 of the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39) and amended by section 15 of, and paragraph 20 of Schedule 4 to, the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4).
- f10
1980 c. 43; section 150 has been amended but none is relevant to the note to this rule.
- f11
1933 c. 12; section 59 was amended by sections 79 and 83 of, and Schedules 9 and 10 to, the Criminal Justice Act 1948 (c. 58) and section 18 of the Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952 (c. 48).