Protocols and guidance on criminal cases

Occasionally, senior judges will set out protocols or guidance for the way in which criminal cases should be handled. For example they may share good practice, which can help judges to reduce delays in court proceedings.

Criminal case
Magistrates' Courts

Criminal cases

Management of cases from the Organised Crime Division of the Crown Prosecution Service [December 2008] (PDF 39kb)

Effective, cracked, ineffective and vacated trials monitoring scheme

Operational Guidance for Monitoring Scheme [Updated from 1 October 2007] (PDF 313kb)
Circular letter from Senior Presiding Judge [August 2005] (PDF 49kb)

Protocol for the Provision of Advance Information, Prosecution Evidence and Disclosure of Unused Material in the Magistrates' Courts
[5 June 2006]

South Eastern Circuit Presiding Judges:
Practice Direction for ‘heavy’ fraud trials estimated to take 6 weeks or more [16 May 2006] (PDF 71kb)

Protocol for Victim Advocates' pilot [3 May 2006]

Disclosure: A Protocol for the Control and Management of Unused Material in the Crown Court [20 February 2006]

This note provides best practice guidance for Custody Management Directions for those prisoners who may a pose a risk of escape or violence [January 2006] (PDF 55kb)

Best practice guidance for Custody Management Directions for those prisoners who may a pose a risk of escape or violence. [January 2006] (PDF 49kb)

Listing: Issued by the Lord Chief Justice in July 2005 and incorporated into the Crown Court Manual [ July 2005 ] (PDF 193kb)

The Criminal Case Management Framework provides operational practitioners with guidance on how cases might be managed most effectively and efficiently from pre-charge through to conclusion. It describes case management procedures and the roles and responsibilities of administrative staff operating those procedures, and of the defence. It also sets out the expectations of the judiciary.
Criminal Case Management Framework
[ July 2005 ]

Criminal Case Management Framework and Listing - Circular letter from Senior Presiding Judge [ July 2005 ] (PDF 49kb)

The new criminal procedure rules, timeliness and pre-trial reviews - Circular letter from Senior Presiding Judge [ July 2005 ] (PDF 55kb)

Listing: Issued by the Lord Chief Justice in July 2005 and incorporated into the Crown Court Manual [July 2005 ] (PDF 194kb)

Deployment and allocation of criminal cases - guidance to Resident Judges
[ May 2005 ] (PDF 55kb)

Prolific and Other Priority Offenders Programme - Circular letter from Senior Presiding Judge [ April 2005 ] (PDF 55kb)

This transcript covers the handing down of a Protocol and three new Practice Directions by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, on 22 March 2005.
Court transcript - criminal case management, complex case handling and jury service [22 March 2005] (PDF 255 kb)

This protocol was handed down by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, on 22 March 2005. It deals with the management of complex trials in England and Wales. The aim of the Protocol is to reduce the length of complex trials for fraud and other crimes.
Protocol for the control and management of heavy fraud and complex criminal cases [22 March 2005] (PDF 84kb )