Offences
What is a Summary Offence?
Most criminal charges are summary offences heard by magistrates sitting in the Magistrates Court (Criminal Division) commonly called the Court of Petty Sessions. A summary offence is one which can be heard by a magistrate.
What is an Indictable Offence?
An indictable offence is a more serious offence than a summary offence. Indictable offences are usually tried before the Supreme Court in a jury trial. There are some indictable offences that can be dealt with summarily (by a magistrate). See Offences Tried by Judge and Jury: Indictable Offences.
Page last updated 25/07/2019
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Offences tried by Judge and Jury: Indictable Offences