Once the Police have finished their investigation, if the suspect has been charged, they might pass the information to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and they or the Police might decide to take the case to court.
If the case has been taken to court, the first court appearance will be for the Suspect to say whether they are ‘Guilty’ or ‘Not Guilty’ – if they say ‘Guilty’ they won’t go to trial, and they will be given a sentencing date.
If they say ‘Not Guilty’ the case will proceed to trial. The Witness Care Unit will now become your main point of contact for updates on trial dates and whether you need to attend court as a witness.
At this point, you can also be referred to the Witness Service (provided by Citizens Advice). This is a free service for those attending court, to make sure you feel supported and comfortable throughout the process.
Before going to court, it’s important that you speak to the Witness Care Unit or the Officer in your case to discuss if you require ‘Special Measures’ – these are measures put in place if you are an vulnerable witness, to enable you to give the best evidence possible, and might involve:
putting screens or curtains around you in the courtroom so you can’t see the suspect
giving evidence by live video link, so you don’t have to sit in the courtroom
having your statement recorded on video to be played to the courtroom
asking the public to leave the courtroom while you give evidence
getting specialist help to understand questions and communicate answers through Registered Intermediaries
It is important to note that not everyone is automatically entitled to these measures. You are only entitled to ask for these if you are vulnerable, intimidated or under 18.
When the trial is completed, the Witness Care Unit will inform you of the outcome of the trial and sentencing within 1 working day of them being informed by the court. If you have questions about the sentencing, the Witness Care Unit should be able to direct you to the CPS for answer.
