# The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, Rule 24.14: Duty of justices’ legal adviser

Extent: E+W

(1) A justices’ legal adviser must attend the court and carry out the duties listed in this rule, as applicable, unless the court—
(a) includes a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts); and
(b) otherwise directs.
(2) A justices’ legal adviser must—
(a) before the hearing begins, by reference to what is provided for the court under rule 24.13 (Provision of documents for the court) draw the court’s attention to—
(i) what the prosecutor alleges,
(ii) what the parties say is agreed,
(iii) what the parties say is in dispute, and
(iv) what the parties say about how each expects to present the case, especially where that may affect its duration and timetabling; and
(b) assist the court by—
(i) making a note of the substance of any oral evidence or representations, to help the court recall that information, and
(ii) if the court rules inadmissible part of a written statement introduced in evidence, marking that statement in such a way as to make that clear.
(3) Where the defendant has no legal representative and indicates an intention to plead guilty a justices’ legal adviser must, in terms the defendant can understand—
(a) explain the procedures required by—
(i) rule 24.7 (Procedure on plea of guilty), and
(ii) rule 24.11 (Procedure if the court convicts); and
(b) in particular explain—
(i) the right to make representations about the facts alleged by the prosecutor,
(ii) the right to offer mitigation, and
(iii) the importance of providing information about financial and other personal circumstances so that the court can impose the most appropriate sentence.
(4) Where the defendant has served a notice of guilty plea to which rule 24.8 (Written guilty plea: special rules) applies, a justices’ legal adviser must—
(a) unless the court otherwise directs, if any member of the public, including any reporter, is present, read aloud to the court—
(i) the material on which the prosecutor relies to set out the facts of the offence and to provide information relevant to sentence (or summarise any written statement included in that material, if the court so directs), and
(ii) any written representations by the defendant; and
(b) otherwise, draw the court’s attention to—
(i) what the prosecutor alleges, and any significant features of the material listed in paragraph (4)(a)(i), and
(ii) any written representations by the defendant.
(5) Where the court tries a case under rule 24.9 (Single justice procedure: special rules), a justices’ legal adviser must draw the court’s attention to—
(a) what the prosecutor alleges, and any significant features of the material on which the prosecutor relies to prove the alleged offence and to provide information relevant to sentence; and
(b) any representations served by the defendant.
[Note. Section 28 of the Courts Act 2003 provides for the functions of a justices’ legal adviser. See also rule 2.12 (Duties of justices’ legal adviser) and sections 12 and 16A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.
Under section 12(7ZA) of the 1980 Act, Criminal Procedure Rules may specify which of the documents listed in section 12(7) of that Act, if any, must be read aloud, and may require them to be read aloud only in circumstances specified in the rules.]

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/909/rule/24.14 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-rules-2025/rule-24.14/enacted
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.