The Court Room
Judge
The judge is in charge and is responsible for making sure the trial is presented to the jury in an understandable and balanced way. The judge settles any legal argument, advises the jury and, if the defendant is found guilty, decides the appropriate sentence.
Clerk
The clerk has many responsibilities essential to the running of the court, and will take the verdict from the jury foreman.
Prosecution Advocate
The prosecution advocate is a barrister or solicitor whose job is to present the evidence against the defendant. They explain what the defendant is accused of, and then present the case against the defendant.
Crown Prosecution Service Representative
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decides if crimes investigated by the police should go to court and, if so, conducts the case for the prosecution. A CPS representative prepares the case and is in court to assist the prosecuting advocate. The CPS representative has the prosecution file in court, and you will see them consult the prosecution advocate during the trial.
Defence Advocate
The defence advocate is a barrister or solicitor who represents the person accused of an offence. They do this by questioning the prosecution case and presenting evidence on behalf of the defendant. If the jury find the defendant guilty, the defence advocate will then present the judge with reasons why leniency should be shown in sentencing. This is called mitigation.
Defendant
The defendant is the person accused of the crime. In some cases there is more than one defendant. They don't have to prove their innocence - it is for the prosecution to prove they are guilty. The defendant is accompanied by a dock officer throughout the trial.
Witness
A witness is a person who gives evidence in the trial. Often the witness saw the offence committed, either as a victim or as a bystander. The witness may be a police officer giving details of the arrest, a doctor giving medical evidence or a forensic officer reporting the findings of a fingerprint search. Some trials have expert witnesses. These are professional people who are asked to give their expert opinion on specific evidence.
Probation Representative
The National Probation Service may be asked by the Judge to prepare a pre-sentence report for the court if a defendant is convicted. This will include whether they believe the defendant is suitable for a community-based sentence. They also supervise some of the penalties.
Usher
Ushers move around the court during the trial, helping it to run smoothly. There are sometimes two ushers - the jury's usher and the witness's usher. In some courts there is only one. They guide the jury and witnesses into and out of the court, and administer oaths.
Defence Representative
The defence solicitor is the legal representative for the defendant and helps the defence advocate present the defence evidence. They will take notes as evidence is given in case the defence advocate needs to refer back to things said earlier. The defence solicitor has the defence file in court, and you will see them consult the defence advocate during the trial.
Logger
The logger records the proceedings either on tape or using a modified word processor called a stenograph.
Public Gallery
The public gallery is an area of the court that is usually open to everyone to view the hearing.
Dock Officer
The dock officer accompanies the defendant throughout the trial.
Press
Members of the press may be there to report on the trial. You must not speak to any member of the press.
Jury Members
There will be 12 of you on the jury. You will need to sit in the same position in the jury box throughout the trial.