Appearing in The Magistrate's Court

Appearing in Court as a Defendant

If you have been summoned to appear before the Magistrate’s Court for a criminal offence you will have been notified of the time and date to attend.

The court day starts at 10.00 a.m. and you should be in the Court building by 9.30 a.m. You should dress as smartly as you can and be tidy in your appearance.

If you need an interpreter, you should tell your lawyer to tell the court, or if you do not have a lawyer, you should tell the court you need an interpreter as soon as possible before your hearing. Contact details are provided below.

If for some good reason you are unable to attend Court, you should contact the Court immediately with evidence to justify your non-attendance, so that alternative arrangements can be made. If you do not attend and do not explain your non-attendance to the Court beforehand, it is likely that an Arrest Order will be made, and you may find yourself in custody.

As you walk into the Magistrate’s Court building on the left-hand side is the reception desk where the ushers sit. You should report to the usher on the desk who will note your attendance and will tell you in which of the three courtrooms your case is being heard. Hearing loop facilities are available on request from the ushers.

There is an area to sit outside courtrooms 1 and 2, which are accessible by a lift or stairs.

If you are represented by an advocate, there are meeting rooms where you can discuss your case in private. The usher will tell you when your case is called. Follow the usher into the court room and stand in the dock. You will be asked your name, date of birth and address by the judge.

What happens next will depend on what the hearing is for, and whether you are representing yourself or whether a lawyer represents you. All decisions made by the judge will be explained to you at the hearing.

Appearing in Court as a Complainant or a Witness

If you are appearing to give evidence in a trial you will have been told by the prosecution or the defendant’s advocate the date you are due to attend and the time.

The court day starts at 10.00 a.m. and you should be in the Court building by 9.30 a.m. on the first day of the trial. You should dress as smartly as you can and be tidy in your appearance.

If you need an interpreter, you should tell the prosecution or the defendant’s advocate and they will inform the court. The prosecution or the defendant’s advocate should explain briefly to you what will happen in court prior to proceedings. It is important that you are able to give your best evidence in court and therefore the prosecution or the defendant’s advocate will explore with you whether you need any special measures, such as screens from the defendant.

If for some good reason you are unable to attend court, you should contact prosecution or the defendant’s advocate immediately with evidence to justify your non-attendance, so that alternative arrangements can be made.

As you walk into the Magistrate’s Court building on the left-hand side is the reception desk where the ushers sit. You should report to the usher on the desk who will note your attendance and will tell you in which of the three courtrooms your case is being heard. Prosecution witnesses and defendant’s witnesses are kept in separate rooms.

You will remain in your room until the usher asks you to come into the court room. The usher will show you to the witness stand. You will be asked your name and date of birth. You will be asked to take an oath to tell the truth or formally affirm to tell the truth.

You will be asked questions by the advocate who asked you to attend. Once they have completed their questions, you will be asked questions by the advocate for the other side. When the second advocate has finished, the first advocate might ask you some more questions. When you have answered all the questions asked, you will be thanked for giving your evidence and will be told that you can leave. If you want, you can take a seat at the back of the court and listen to the rest of the case.

Coming to watch proceedings

The Adult Remand Court is an open court; this means that it is generally open to adults to sit and listen to proceedings. There are some courts where the general public are not allowed to attend, for instance the Youth Court is a “closed court.”

The court day starts at 10.00 a.m. and you should aim to be in the court room by 9.45 a.m. on. You should dress as smartly as you can and be tidy in your appearance. Please note that some items of clothing are not generally allowed in court, such as a hat or hood. Please follow the advice of the ushers.

As you walk into the Magistrate’s Court building on the left-hand side is the reception desk where the ushers sit. You should report to the usher on the desk who will note your attendance and will tell you in which courtroom the hearing you want to watch is being heard. Hearing loop facilities are available on request from the ushers. 

There are some items that are not allowed in the court rooms; there is a notice about this outside the courtrooms. You should turn your mobile phone on to silent, or preferably off. The usher will remind you about your phone before the hearing starts. The usher will show you to where you can sit; the general public sits at the back of the court. Hearing loop facilities are available on request from the ushers.

If you are younger than 17 years of age, then you will need special permission from the court to attend. You should contact the court using the contact details below.

When the judge enters the court, everyone in the court room stands, unless they are unable to do so. The judge will ask the greffier to say prayers. The judge will sit and then everyone else in the court will sit.

It is important that everyone can hear what goes on in court and therefore you should remain quiet throughout the hearing and do not distract anyone who is talking. If you want to leave the court room, it is best to do so between cases.