The players and Court etiquette
The magistrates: there are usually three. They are representatives of the Crown and should be acknowledged by a Court bow (from the neck) when entering and leaving Court. They are addressed as "Your Worships".
The Legal Adviser: is primarily concerned with advising the magistrates on questions of law, legal procedure and practice but also often deals with procedural matters.
The Usher: shows people in and out of court and keeps things running smoothly.
Prosecutor(s): Crown Prosecution Service, Customs and Excise, trading standards, television licence records office, local authorities and public utilities.
Probation: probation officers work in direct contact with offenders (and often their families) in order to reduce the likelihood of future offending and protect the public. They give comprehensive and researched advice about offenders to courts when magistrates are deciding a sentence and they supervise offenders on community sentences like probation orders or community service.
Dock: This is where the defendant sits during court proceedings when brought from custody. The defendant in this case will be accompanied by a security officer. However, to give evidence they go to the witness stand. The defendant is the person who is alleged to have committed a crime or broken the law. Usually they would be represented in court by a defence advocate but they can choose to represent themselves.
Witness Stand: witnesses play a crucial role in the criminal justice system. They are reporters of crime and providers of evidence. There is provision for witness care in most magistrates' courts. For further details contact Victim Support, Tel: 0207 735 9166.
Public: most court hearings are open to the public with the exception of youth court and family proceeding matters. It is useful to telephone the court first to find out what courts are sitting on the day you wish to observe.
Press: many local papers still report cases from their local magistrates' courts.
Defence advocates: represent the defendant, the defence advocate may be a solicitor or barrister. Most solicitors are organised into firms, some of which are very large with the partners specialising in different areas of law. Barristers group together to form chambers, (ie rooms together). A lay client cannot instruct a barrister directly, but must go to a solicitor who instructs the barrister.
For a visual interpretation of the inside of a Courtroom please visit the Lancashire Magistrates' Court Service website and click on Witness Guides