How criminal offences are classified, which court tries them, and the routes by which convictions and sentences can be challenged on appeal.
Every criminal case follows a path determined at the outset by how the offence is classified, and that path shapes everything from venue to appeal rights. This chapter starts with the classification of offences and the criminal court hierarchy, then works through allocation of either-way offences and the limits on magistrates' sentencing powers. It traces the appeal routes from the Magistrates' Court to the Crown Court and the High Court, and from the Crown Court to the Court of Appeal, including the test for an unsafe conviction. It finishes with prosecution references, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, appeals to the Supreme Court, and the distinct rules governing youths in the Youth Court.
