1.2.2 Guilty pleas
The defendant will be asked at an early stage to plead guilty or not guilty to the offence. If the defendant pleads not guilty, there will be a trial. However, if the defendant pleads guilty, they admit that they committed the crime. There is no need to hear evidence in a trial to decide whether the defendant is guilty. The court only has to decide their sentence (punishment). This is decided by the magistrates or judge, so no jury is needed.
Activity 3 Guilty pleas
Timing: Allow 2 minutes
a.
More than two-thirds
b.
About half
c.
Fewer than one-third
d.
Fewer than one-tenth
The correct answer is a.
Comment
More than two-thirds of defendants in the Crown Court plead guilty (Ministry of Justice, 2020a). The proportion is even higher in magistrates’ courts.