The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and has 12 Justices, it is located in Middlesex Guildhall. It is reserved for high profile cases.
3 functions of Crown Courts are to; deal with serious criminal cases, appeals from a Magistrates' court and cases are passed on from Magistrates' court for sentencing or for trials.
All courses start at Magistrates' court but indictable offences are passed on to Crown Court. Magistrates' court normally deal with summary offences and only has power to sentence people to up to 6 months per crime.
A criminal offence must be proved beyond reasonable doubt whereas a civil case works on the balance of probabilities.
When Journalists use the term public interest they're referring to a matter that is of real value and concern for the public to know.
A court case becomes legally active once a person has been charged, the police make an arrest, an arrest warrant is issued or the Magistrates' court issues a summons.
Libel is defined as Identification+ Publication + Defamation.
A statement is defamatory if it; lowers someone in the estimation of right thinking people, causes them to be shunned and avoided, exposes them to hatred, ridicule and contempt or disparages them in their business, trade or profession.
CPS- Criminal Prosecution Service
MOJ- Ministry of Justice
DPP- Director of Public Prosecution
