A short guide about how to support people going to court. This guide was published by the Green and Black Cross.
If someone has been arrested they may be released on police bail or they may have been charged with an offence and have to appear at a court.
How do you know if you’ve been charged? You will have been given a document giving a date to appear at court, the details of the court and details of which offence you’ve been charged with.
If you are released on police bail you may either be charged at a later date, or be told there is no further action (NFA) to be taken against you, which is the end of the matter.
If you have been charged with an offence this means that you are to go on trial for the offence – but it still may not come to this….
It is invaluable to have support during the whole court process, this brief guide will explain what happens when one goes to court to enable you to support any one you know who has been charged, and also to understand the process if you yourself have been charged. If you would like a much more detailed description you could read ‘How to Defend Yourself in Court’.
The Activist Court Aid Brigade (ACAB) have volunteers who support people who are going to court. If you or a friend have been called to court after attending an action, please send an email to ACAB who will offer you support: [email protected] Find out more about court monitoring.
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