When you plead guilty to a charge, the charge and Statement of Facts (SOF) will be read to you in language which you understand and by an interpreter if necessary. After the charge has been read to you, you will be asked to confirm that wish to plead guilty to the charge and that you…
When you plead guilty to a charge, the Court will need to confirm that you understand the nature and consequences of pleading guilty before it is able to accept your plea of guilt and convict you of the charge. A separate open-courtroom hearing (sometimes referred to as a Mention) will be conducted before a Judge…
When the Prosecution has informed the Court of its final decision on the nature and course of the prosecutorial action that will be taken against you, you will need to inform the Court of your decision as to whether you ultimately wish to plead guilty or claim trial to the charge. When you plead guilty…
After considering considering your mitigation plea as well as any arguments made by the Prosecution in relation to the issue of sentencing, the Judge will impose a sentence against you. Once a decision on the conviction and sentence has been made by the Judge, either party may generally make an appeal to the High Court…
The purpose of a mitigation plea is to persuade the Court to impose the least severe or most appropriate punishment (in your view) available for the offence committed in view of all the circumstances of your case. As such, the mitigation plea should aim to present the following types of information for the Court’s consideration:…