ABSTRACT
There is a sort of received wisdom that everything to do with the law is complicated and difficult to understand. Most of the following chapters concern the law and legal procedures in England and Wales. But several sections on the law in Scotland have been included. For more information about the different Scottish system consult the Law Society of Scotland. The criminal law deals with offences. There are two elements in most crimes: a criminal act and a guilty intent. All criminal cases start in the Magistrates Courts, which always make the initial decisions about whether bail and/or legal aid will be granted, although lawyers sometimes challenge those decisions in a higher court. Crown Court judges are always legally qualified with at least ten years’ experience and, unless they are hearing submissions or dealing with matters from the Magistrates Courts, they sit with a jury. The High Court usually sits in the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London.
