Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
In many common law jurisdictions (e.g. England and Wales, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore), an indictable offence is an offence which can only be tried on an indictment after a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is a prima facie case to answer or by a grand jury (in contrast to a summary offence).
An indictment (/ ɪ n ˈ d aɪ t m ən t / [1] in-DYTE-mənt) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offense is a felony ; jurisdictions that do not use that concept often use that of an indictable offence , an offence that requires an indictment.
In law, a conviction is the determination by a court of law that a defendant is guilty of a crime. [1] A conviction may follow a guilty plea that is accepted by the court, a jury trial in which a verdict of guilty is delivered, or a trial by judge in which the defendant is found guilty. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that
Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law.While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge with the person on trial either being free on bail or incarcerated, and results in the conviction or acquittal of the defendant.
A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. [1] The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resulted in the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods, to which additional punishments, including capital punishment, could be added; [2 ...
indictment; citation; traffic ticket; The charging document is what generally starts a criminal case in court. But the procedure by which somebody is charged with a crime and what happens when somebody has been charged varies from country to country and even, within a country, from state to state.
The size of the grand jury and the number of grand jurors required to issue an indictment varies among the states and even, at times, within a single state. [19] A supermajority of jurors, such as two-third or three-fourths, is usually needed to recommend an indictment or criminal charge. [6]
The Melbourne Magistrates' Court.In Victoria, Australia, all summary offences are heard in the Magistrates' Court. A summary offence or petty offence is a violation in some common law jurisdictions that can be proceeded against summarily, [1] [2] [3] without the right to a jury trial and/or indictment (required for an indictable offence).