Criminal procedure magistrates court

For the circumstances in which a magistrates’ court may (and, in some cases, must) commit a defendant to the Crown Court for sentence, see sections 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4, 4A and 6 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 ( 56)

The procedure set out in this rule is prescribed by sections 12 and 12A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 ( 35)

Under section 12 (1) (a), the Secretary of State can specify offences to which the procedure will not apply

Where the case has been allocated for trial in a magistrates’ court, part of the procedure under rule 24

Part 6 contains rules about reporting, etc

For a list of the court’s powers to impose reporting and access restrictions, see the note to rule 6