What to Expect at a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing

You have attended the Magistrates Court, and your case has been sent to the Crown Court for a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing (PTPH), this is either because the allegations made against you were too serious for the Magistrates to deal with and therefore outside of their jurisdiction, or you are charged with an either-way offence, and you elected the Crown Court.

It is normal to feel anxious and worried about any court hearing, but the prospect of appearing in the Crown Court often makes these feelings much worse. Our experienced team are here to help you prepare for this hearing and offer support to you when navigating the complexities of criminal proceedings.

When a person is charged, no matter what the offences is, they will firstly be required to attend the Magistrates Court for their first appearance. Following attendance at the Magistrates Court and where the case is sent to the Crown Court, a defendant will be waiting approximately 28 days before their Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing.

The Crown Court is a more formal court and much more structured in comparison to the Magistrates Court. There are many other differences between the two courts, an important difference is that a defendant is tried before a jury, rather than a District Judge or three lay Magistrates.

However, prior to any trial and following the first hearing in the Magistrates Court a defendant will attend the Crown Court for their Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing. The hearing is relatively short and enables the judge to put in place a timetable for trial preparation and to set a trial date. The defendant will also be required to enter their plea again to the Crown Court, with the charges read to them from the indictment.

Preparation for the hearing

Before the hearing takes place, your legal team are required to complete a Plea and Trial Preparation form which requires us to inform the court of the defence, whether that be consent, reasonable belief in age or that the defendant disputes the whole case. This means we must spend time with you thoroughly going through what we know about the case at this early stage, your response to the allegations and your personal background.

We are also required to gain access to the Crown Court Digital Case System to enable us to register as your legal team, and to see what documentation has been uploaded and to assess whether we are required to respond to any CPS or court requests prior to the hearing.

You would also be represented by a specialist barrister at the Crown Court. We would be responsible for fully briefing your barrister and ensuring they are aware of the case and your personal background before the hearing.

Entering Your Plea

Proceedings will usually begin with the defendant being ‘arraigned’. This means they will be asked how they plead in relation to the allegations made against them, this can be guilty or not guilty. The Court clerk will read the charges from a document referred to as the indictment. This is a formal document prepared for a case proceeding to trial in the Crown Court. The indictment lists the offences and the particulars of the offence which is a description of the offence, it will also include the dates on which the offence is alleged to have taken place, or a range of dates if one particular date has not been able to be established. The defendant will confirm their name and enter their plea to each charge, similar to what took place in the Magistrates Court.

Time Tabling of the Case

The defendant will not be required to speak again during the hearing, but important matters will be discussed between the barristers and judge.

The judge will confirm a date for trial which is often many months in advance some cases are now taking 12-18 months to reach trial.

The judge will then direct for the parties to meet deadlines by way of service of material by certain dates, referred to as stage dates. There are usually at least 3 stage dates, sometimes 4.

Stage 1

This is a stage whereby the prosecution are required to serve all material they are relying on to bring the case to court. It also includes unused material; this is material gathered during the investigation which the CPS are not relying on but must provide the defence with a list detailing it in the event the defence find it helpful for their case.

Stage 1 can also include any applications for special measures that the CPS may want to make for their witnesses, including the complainant. Special measures can include screens for when a witness is giving evidence, evidence via a live link or for evidence to be given by the complainant via a section 28 hearing.

Stage 2

The defence must respond by way of a Defence Case Statement to the evidence served in stage 1. A Defence Case Statement is a mandatory document for a Crown Court trial and its purpose is to outline the defence case, raise issues that the defendant takes with the prosecution case and to also make requests for disclosure which may not have yet been provided.

The defence will also be required to respond to any applications the CPS may have made as part of stage 1.

Stage 3

Stage 3 requires the CPS to respond to stage This may include disclosure of further material, or they may explain why they will not be disclosing material that the defence have requested.

The judge may also include within the timetable dates for Case Management Hearings or Pre Trial Reviews, particularly where trial is a long way off and there is the requirement to appropriately manage the preparation and that parties are going to be ready for trial.

Bail

Once case time tabling has completed, unless there are further matters that require input from the judge, the defendant will be released on bail, usually with conditions such as not to contact prosecution witnesses, to abide by a curfew or to not go within a certain area.

If the defendant has been brought to court on remand, which means from prison then the judge can remand the defendant back to prison to wait for their trial, or their legal representative may make an application for bail. If bail is granted the defendant will be released from custody.

It is important to be aware that if a defendant is remanded into custody to wait for their trial, then custody time limits will apply which means their trial must be heard within 182 days from the date they appeared before the Magistrates Court, or 182 days from when the case was sent to the Crown Court.

How We Can Help You

Although the PTPH is a relatively short hearing, it is very important that your legal team understand the case and your defence which means spending time with you, going through the evidence we have, discussing that with you and taking a full detailed account of your background, current circumstances and your response to the allegations. It is only by spending time with you and getting to know you that we can present your case in the strongest possible way. Our team take pride in the dedication and time we give to our clients and their cases, taking a pro active and thorough approach is something we always apply.

If you have been charged with a sexual offence or an offence of domestic violence, then get in touch with us today. Our lawyers will be pleased to speak with you confidentially and explain your options to you and the court process in more detail.

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What To Expect At A Pre-Trial Review

By Jessica Wilson • April 22, 2025

Has your case been listed for pre-trial review? Are you concerned about what the hearing may entail? Our team have put together this short fact sheet which provides some guidance as to why a pre-trial review may be listed and what happens in the courtroom. Pre-trial reviews are not always necessary, however in cases which may have complex issues, be anticipated to be lengthy trials, or issue have arisen during trial preparation between the parties, then a pre-trial review is likely to be required. What is a Pre Trial Review? A pre-trial review is exactly what the name suggests, it is an opportunity for the court review the case prior to trial. The judge will ensure that both parties have met previous directions set by the court, and that there is no outstanding issues or reasons which may cause a delay to the trial. If there are any issues that have arisen between the parties they will be aired and the judge, where required, may set directions to the prosecution and defence with the aim being to resolve the problems, and to enable trial to begin and run effectively. Issues that can arise during trial preparation may include: 1. Applications to introduce bad character , this can be of the defendant or any other trial witnesses. 2. Applications to introduce hearsay evidence 3. Problems with witnesses 4. Delays caused by either part, where material should have been served and hasn't. 5. Applications for disclosure of documents which the defence may need and they are being withheld. Do I need to attend my pre-trial review? Yes, the defendant in a case is almost always required to attend their pre-trial review. It can also be useful for the defendant's attendance so that they can remain fully involved and aware of the process and decisions being taken in their case. You will not be asked any questions at the hearing but the judge may wish for you to acknowledge the outcome of the hearing and directions set, particularly if there is work for the defence team to carry out. Will my barrister attend my pre-trial review? You must always be represented at any court hearing. Our team take great pride in our meticulous preparation for all court hearings and your barrister would be instructed to attend your pre-trial review, with a detailed brief which would detail any issues we have with the prosecution or delays that are affecting our ability to prepare for trial. Do my witnesses have to attend my pre-trial review? No, your witnesses do not have to attend your pre-trial review. No evidence will be heard during the hearing, it is to establish readiness for trial only, resolve issues that could potentially cause delays, and to give the court confirmation that the current date listed for trial will be able to remain. How long does a pre-trial review hearing take? How long a pre-trial review hearing takes depends on the nature of the case and whether any issues require addressing by the judge. The court will usually want to process pre-trial review hearings quickly, and in sexual offence or domestic abuse cases the hearings can last anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour. How Eventum Legal can help Our team take a meticulous approach to trial preparation and will always be alert to any issues that could affect your case. We take a no stone unturned approach and we are not afraid to challenge decision of the CPS at hearings before the courts. We have select barristers which we work regularly with when defending sexual and domestic violence cases so you are provided with a strong and experienced team who are dedicated thorough preparation and presentation of your case. If you have a pre-trial review hearing approaching and are unrepresented, or feel that your current legal team are not making the progress required then contact us for a free initial consultation where we will assess your case, circumstances and the future of any court hearings.