Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need a Criminal Justice System?
The Criminal Justice System works to help create a safer, fairer and more just society by maintaining law and order, and delivering justice. The Criminal Justice System is made up of a number of agencies which work together to reduce crime, bring offences to justice, support victims and witnesses, and punish and rehabilitate offenders.
What happens when a crime is reported?
The first people involved are the Police, who have responsibility for investigating the crime, identifying the suspects and gathering evidence against them. They will make a crime report and then may take statements from victims and witnesses and gather evidence from the crime scene. The suspect may be charged with an offence.
What happens when someone has been caught?
The Crown Prosecution Service decides whether a suspect should be charged and prosecuted. They'll decide if there is enough evidence to proceed with the case and if a prosecution is in the public interest. The CPS will prepare and present cases at Court.
Who keeps victims or witnesses informed?
In the event that a case is dropped, the CPS will tell victims and witnesses of this and the reasons why. If the case does go ahead, Police, Witness Care Officers and Victim Support will keep you informed of its progress.
What happens when a case goes to court?
Three sorts of cases come to the Magistrates Courts:
- Summary Offences: These include motoring offences and minor assaults.
- Either Way Offence: The defendant can be tried either at the Magistrates or Crown Court. These offences include theft, burglary and handling stolen goods.
- Indictable-only Offences: These offences, such as murder, manslaughter, robbery and rape, must be heard in Crown Court. Magistrates Court involvement in these cases is brief - they decide on whether to grant bail and then pass the case to the Crown Court.
What sentences can the Court give?
Depending on the seriousness of the offence, there are four types of sentence available to the Courts:
- Discharges
- Fines
- Community Sentences
- Imprisonment
When deciding on the sentence, Magistrates and Judges have to take account of the facts of the case and the circumstances of the offender. They may ask the Probation Service to prepare a report about the offender, including a proposal about the sentence.
Why doesn't the Court give more consideration to the victim?
Magistrates and Judges take into account the effect of the crime on the victim. Victim Personal Statements are used to show the impact the crime has had on the victim's life, and these are taken into account and can have a considerable impact in Court.
What help is there for victims of crime?
Victim Support offers practical and emotional support to victims of crime. Trained volunteers contact people after a crime to offer free, confidential support and information. People are referred to Victim Support by the police and other organisations, or they can contact them direct to ask for help.
Northamptonshire Victim Support has four branches with each staffed by fully trained professionals and volunteer workers. With the help of a team of volunteers, each branch offers victims and witnesses of crime emotional & practical support. We can also help with filling out forms and claiming compensation. Victim Support has the full support of the local police force, however, you do not have to report crimes to the police to get help from Victim Support.
What help is there for witnesses?
Witness Service is the court-based branch of Victim Support operating at all the criminal courts in Northamptonshire. Witness Service helps victims and witnesses (both adult and children), their families and friends before, during and after a trial, providing practical help and emotional support delivered by specially trained volunteers, managed by paid staff. During 2003-04 they supported and assisted 3,982 Witnesses in Northamptonshire.
There is now a Witness Care Unit in the county to give victims and witnesses a more seamless experience of the criminal justice system, improving communication, offering practical support and giving extra focus to vulnerable and intimidated witnesses. Witness Care Officers stay in contact with witnesses from the point of charge through to the conclusion of a case, working closely with local support services and giving them updates on the case so they know what's going on.