Preparing For Court

If the defendant has been charged with an offence, a court date will be set and they will have to appear at court.  The Victim and Witness Care Unit (VWCU) will tell you:

• the date, time and location of the first hearing
• the nature of the charges against the defendant
• if the defendant has entered a guilty or not guilty plea
• the outcome of the hearing, for example whether the suspect has been remanded in custody or has been granted bail by the court

The VWCU will provide 3-monthly updates to victims in Crown Court cases, typically the most serious cases, where there has been no communication within the previous three months.  They will also tell you about any delays to proceedings and the reasons for these.

If a person is held in prison, they may apply for bail again, but usually only if there has been a change in circumstances since they last applied.  They may also apply for compassionate bail for short periods for reasons such as a family funeral.  The judge must grant bail unless the prosecution can show there is a specific risk.

If bail is granted by the court, the prosecutor will consider whether any bail conditions would help address any risks.  Bail means that the defendant enters into a bond between them and the court to pay money if they break the conditions of bail.  Anyone acting as a guarantor may also have to enter into this agreement, and may lose money if the defendant breaks their bail conditions.  Part of bail conditions normally include that the defendant will have no contact with victims and witnesses involved in the case.  If you believe bail conditions have been broken, you should inform the police.