{"id":738,"date":"2020-11-04T14:19:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T14:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.victimsupport.org.uk\/?page_id=738"},"modified":"2020-11-05T11:00:59","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T11:00:59","slug":"whos-who-in-the-criminal-justice-system","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.victimsupport.org.uk\/going-court\/whos-who-in-the-criminal-justice-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Who\u2019s who in the criminal justice system"},"content":{"rendered":"
The legal system in England and Wales has been around for a long time and is widely respected. But it\u2019s also complicated \u2014\u00a0particularly if you\u2019ve never come into contact with it before. You can find out more about how the system works from some of the\u00a0organisations<\/a>\u00a0involved.<\/p>\n For more information on the criminal justice system create a free account on\u00a0My Support Space<\/a>\u00a0– a free online resource containing interactive guides (including journey to justice) to help you move forward after crime.<\/p>\n Almost all criminal cases begin in a magistrates\u2019 court. Whether they end there or are sent to the Crown Court depends on how serious the crime is.<\/p>\n If a defendant (the person accused of a crime) is under 18, the case will normally be heard in a youth court. Hearings in the youth court are not open to the public and are less formal than adult courts. The most serious offences, however, such as murder or manslaughter, will be dealt with in the Crown Court.<\/p>\n<\/div>Some basic information to get you started<\/h2>\n