Criminal Law: Public Order - Guides
Public Order
8. Charges
Firm / Chambers:
Last updated: 22 Sep 2015
- If you are charged with a public order offence what you should do depends on whether you are out on bail or not.
- In either case it is important to get a copy of the court papers including copies of the charges, the statement of material facts and your criminal and bail records.
- If you are not on bail then there may be an option to have the matter dealt with by the court in your absence. Usually there is a form included in your court papers which you need to fill out and give to the court before your court date.
- If you choose to do this then the court will deal with your case without you.
- You will need to call the court at the end of the day to find out exactly what penalty was imposed.
- If you are going to court make sure you take all your paperwork with you.
- If you want to argue your case, hear what the magistrate says or let the magistrate know about personal circumstances that may affect the court’s decision you can go to court on the date and time specified. If you would like a lawyer to represent you our free Find a Lawyer directory can help you contact a criminal law specialist near you. If you can’t afford a lawyer you can apply for Legal Aid. You can find out more in our Legal Aid topic.
- If you are on bail the most important thing is to make sure you stick to your bail requirements as well as attending court for your hearing.
- If you have been released on conditional bail then read the bail conditions and make sure you clearly understand all the conditions you must stick to.
- If you want legal representation then make an appointment with a lawyer or contact Legal Aid to find out what steps you need to take to have a lawyer represent you.
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