Prepare Your Court Bundle for St Albans Magistrates' Court

Magistrates' Court · St. Albans

Preparing a bundle for a hearing at St Albans Magistrates' Court

Criminal cases at St Albans Magistrates' Court are governed by the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, in force since 6 October 2025. The prosecution leads on the papers, but there are defence deadlines to know if your case is heard in St. Albans.

1. 1

   Where criminal cases begin

   Virtually all criminal cases start in a magistrates' court, and around 95% are completed there. More serious cases go on to the Crown Court for trial or for sentence.

   Sources: Judiciary of England and Wales: About Magistrates' courts (opens in a new tab)

2. 2

   Initial details of the prosecution case

   The prosecutor must serve initial details of the prosecution case on the court no later than the start of the day of the first hearing. If you ask for them, they must be served on you by then too; if not, they must be made available to you at or before that time.

   Sources: Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, rule 8.2 (opens in a new tab)

3. 3

   Defence statement and defence witness notice

   On a not guilty plea, a defence statement is optional in a magistrates' court, but if you give one it must be within 14 days of the prosecutor's initial disclosure. A defence witness notice is required within the same 14 days, whether or not you give a defence statement.

   Sources: Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, s 6 (opens in a new tab); Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, rule 15.4 (opens in a new tab); CPIA 1996 (Defence Disclosure Time Limits) Regulations 2011, reg 2 (opens in a new tab)

4. 4

   Appealing to the Crown Court

   An appeal against conviction or sentence is started by serving an appeal notice not more than 15 business days after sentence — or sooner, from the date sentence is deferred or the case is committed for sentence, if either happens first.

   Sources: Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, rule 34.2 (opens in a new tab)

5. 5

   If your family case is listed here

   A family hearing at St Albans Magistrates' Court is a hearing of the family court — one court for the whole of England and Wales — so Practice Direction 27A applies to the bundle, including its timetable, page limit and numbering rules, rather than the rules described above.

   Sources: Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, s 31A (opens in a new tab); FPR Practice Direction 27A, para 2.1 (opens in a new tab)

BundleCreator can help you keep your own copy of the papers you have been served, and any references or notes you want to rely on, in a clear indexed order. It does not replace the material served by the prosecution, or advice from a solicitor.