Court Observation Report free essay sample

The Crown Court also sentences defendants who have been committed for sentencing by magistrates, after having been summarily convicted of an either-way offence. There are 77 Crown Court centres of three types: first tier centres are visited by High Court judges for serious Crown Court work and High Court civil business. High court judges deal with the most serious offences here. Second tier centres are visited by High Court judges, circuit judges and recorders for Crown Court criminal cases only. Third tier centres are not normally visited by a High Court judge. Circuit judges and recorders deal with criminal cases. At least two presiding High Court judges are appointed to each circuit and help to organise judicial deployment in the Crown Court. As part of a modernization programme the Crown court has been linked to prison service video conferencing facilities so that prisoners can appear from secure conditions in preliminary hearings without having to be transported to court. Another part of the program is the installation of the EXIBIT which allows all trial participants to track the progress of a case through modern technology. Kingston – upon – Thames Crown Court is situated in a Penrhyn Road. It is the building hard to miss. It has 4 floors with a twelve court rooms in total. You need to go through security check, and then you are inside. There is a reception situated on the ground floor, where you can always find a staff, who is happy to help you, and give all the information you need. Unfortunately, they do not have any informational leaflets about the crown court, or any information about the court structure and how it works. I came a bit too early and needed to wait for about 30 min, and the other disadvantage I noticed there was no waiting areas for public, just a few uncomfortable benches. Luckily there is a cafe and refreshments shop situated on the second floor, so you can refresh yourself while you wait. Taking of notes is forbidden in the public gallery. It was explained to me in the reception. I was told, that only with the permission of usher I would be able to do so. I went to court room twelve, situated on the 4th floor. The case I observed was a rape case. A young man was accused of raping a college student from his neighborhood on May 25th 2011. At the front of the court, on a raised platform, above the rest of the court, is a large bench. This is where the judge was sitting. The judge enters from a door at the side of the platform, preceded by a cry of court rise from the usher or clerk of the court who sits below and in front of the judges bench. Everyone in the court is expected to show their subjection to the Court by standing as the Judge enters and until he sits down. The judge in my observed court was a High Court judge, and was approximately 55 years old male. Judge was polite and friendly to the parties. A several times he reworded the questions asked by defendant barrister in a clearlier and straighter way, so the witness could understand what she was actually asked. Above the judge, there was a Royal Coat of Arms on the wall. There is no national flag in a Crown Court, nor does the judge have a gavel. Sitting the same way as the judge, that is, facing the court, was the clerk of the court. He had his own desk with computer and telephone. Usually used when communication is necessary with other parts of the court building. The other member of court staff was the usher. A several times he passed evidence to the jury. It was the top of the victim, what she was wearing when the incident happened. It was handed to the jury, after one of them gave usher a piece of paper, which was passed to the judge. And then he read the question to the witness â€Å" can you remember what you were wearing that day, when incident occurred† ? Usher – is the only person in the court to walk around while the court is in session. If papers or other objects need to be passed around the court for example notes from members of the jury, or evidence being shown to the jury, normally the usher will do this. Behind the usher, wearing black gowns and white wigs and facing the judge, the prosecuting and defending  barristers were sitting. The defending barrister was nearest to the jury. They also had laptop computers in addition to files of papers relating to the case which were on the desk in front of them. Unlike the judge, who speaks sitting down, the barristers always stand to address the court. At the back of the courtroom, behind the barristers, where a semi-partitioned area known as the dock is, the defendant was placed. A custody officer was sitting with defendant in the dock. Next to defendants dock, is a small area for the public, this is where I was sitting and observing the court proceedings. Alongside the defending barrister was the jury box. This is where the jury watched the case from. Composition of the jury were as follows: 9 females and 2 male jurors. They age ranging from 35-45 years old. Jurors were concentrated and focusing on every world the witness say, and every question the defending barrister asks. Jurors were taking notes, and passed a question a few times to usher, to pass it to the judge. Opposite the jury box was the witness box. In a rape case it is obvious, that the public were not able to see the witness, because the curtain was drawn. The process was very slow, it started 10am, and I stayed there observing the procedures till 2pm, and only had a chance to see the defendant barrister asking witness the same sort of questions in a different way. The outcome of the case is unknown.