At court
The person accused of the crime is likely to appear in court several times, for example to plead guilty or not guilty or for the judge to look at the evidence of the case. It is unlikely you will have to attend these hearings, but you can go if you want to. If the accused person pleads guilty, a date will be set for a sentencing hearing.
You can contact your court victim advisor directly or through the Victims of Crime Information Line on 0800 650 654.
Once the accused person has made their first appearance in court, a court victim advisor will get in touch with you and offer to help you understand the process and what part you can play. They will tell you when and where the accused person is appearing in court and what is happening with your case. If you are not needed as a witness in the case, you will not need to go to court at all, but you can attend most court sessions involving your case if you want to.
If you don’t know what’s happening, or what legal terms mean, ask your court victim advisor, police officer in charge of your case, or support worker to explain.
If the person pleads not guilty and the case goes to a trial (before a
judge and jury) or defended hearing (before a judge only), it will be presented in court by either a police prosecutor or a Crown prosecutor, depending on the type of case and which type of court it is heard in. As crime affects the whole community, the prosecutor works for the government and is responsible for prosecuting cases on behalf of the Crown, the police and the public. You may be required to be a witness for the Crown to help prove the case against the person who is accused.
Court cases can be long and complicated and there may be changes as the case proceeds. There are also a lot of people involved, and language that can be hard to understand. Ask your court victim advisor, police officer in charge or your personal support worker to explain anything you do not understand.
Support through the court process
Your court victim advisor will work with you throughout the court case. You can also get support from Victim Support and other support agencies before, during and after the case, that can help you deal with the ongoing effects of the crime.
They can also help you get support for any specific needs you may have such as hearing or mobility and
language translation assistance.
Your safety is important. If at any time you have any concerns about your safety at court, talk to a police officer or court security officer.
