What happens before your Criminal trial starts?

If you decide to claim trial to the charge, the case is fixed for a Pre-Trial Conference (PTC). At the PTC, the Court will ask about matters that need to be resolved and fix a date for trial after outstanding issues are ironed out. You may need to furnish Court bail. If the case is one that falls under the Criminal Case Disclosure Conference (CCDC), there are timelines to follow. Basically, the Prosecution has to give you and your lawyer a compilation of documents known as the “Case for the Prosecution” which contains all charges, statements, witnesses and evidence that the Prosecution intends to use at the trial. After this, your lawyer must give the Court and the Prosecution, a compilation of documents known as the “Case for the Defence” which should also contain your defence(s), lists of witnesses, exhibits, and objections (if any) on matters in the Case for the Prosecution.

You must ensure that the witnesses testifying in your defence turn up for the trial. If you are unsure about whether the witness is willing to turn up, an application at the Crime Registry may be made for a Summons to a Witness to be issued, at a nominal fee.