Do magistrates in a court case decide the outcome, including the sentence if the person is found guilty?
Magistrates play a crucial role in the UK's legal system, particularly within the magistrates' courts, which handle a significant number of criminal cases. These courts deal with less serious offences, like minor theft or traffic violations. Unlike Crown Courts that involve juries, magistrates' courts are presided over by either a District Judge (a paid, legally qualified professional) or a panel of three lay magistrates, also known as Justices of the Peace. These lay magistrates are unpaid volunteers from the local community. They undergo training to understand the law and court procedures. Because magistrates are responsible for hearing the evidence, applying the law, and determining guilt or innocence in these cases, they also have the power to decide the sentence if the defendant is found guilty. This sentencing power is limited, reflecting the types of offences they handle; for more serious crimes, the case would be passed up to the Crown Court. So, yes, magistrates do indeed decide the outcome of a case, including the sentence if someone is found guilty in their court.
Think of a magistrate as a 'master judge'. They're trusted to make the major decisions, even deciding the sentence of guilty parties.