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Criminal litigation, evidence and sentencing: Bar Training syllabus and curriculum 2023
Criminal litigation, evidence and sentencing: Bar Training syllabus and curriculum 2023
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Criminal litigation, evidence and sentencing:Bar Training syllabus and curriculum 2023
Syllabus Text
Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023
Supplement 1 to Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023
,NB Click on the section title in the contents below to be taken to that section.
Contents Page
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Required Content for the Centrally Set Assessment in Criminal Litigation 2023 ............................. 4
1. Overview of criminal procedure .................................................................................................. 4
2. Preliminaries to prosecution ....................................................................................................... 5
3. Bail and remands ........................................................................................................................ 6
4. Procedure in the magistrates’ courts, allocation for trial, and sending to the Crown Court for
trial or sentence .......................................................................................................................... 7
5. Disclosure of unused material and defence statements ............................................................ 9
6. Indictments ............................................................................................................................... 10
7. Preliminaries to trial in the Crown Court .................................................................................. 11
8. Summary trial procedure .......................................................................................................... 12
9. Jury trial procedure ................................................................................................................... 13
10. Preliminary evidential matters .................................................................................................. 14
11. Burden and standard of proof................................................................................................... 15
12. Preliminary issues relating to Witnesses ................................................................................. 16
13. The rules relating to the examination of Witnesses ................................................................. 17
14. Hearsay Evidence .................................................................................................................... 18
15. Character evidence .................................................................................................................. 19
16. Confessions and unlawfully or unfairly obtained evidence ...................................................... 21
17. Inferences from the defendant’s silence and other conduct .................................................... 23
18. Visual identification evidence ................................................................................................... 24
19. Opinion evidence and experts .................................................................................................. 25
20. Privilege .................................................................................................................................... 26
21. Youth courts and the appearance of youths in other courts .................................................... 27
22. Sentencing principles ............................................................................................................... 28
23. Non-custodial sentences ......................................................................................................... 30
24. Custodial sentences ................................................................................................................ 31
25. Ancillary orders and costs on conviction ................................................................................. 32
26. The dangerous offender provisions ......................................................................................... 33
27. Appeals from the magistrates’ courts and from the Crown Court in its appellate capacity ..... 34
28. Appeals from the Crown Court ................................................................................................. 35
,Introduction
The syllabus and curriculum for the centrally set assessments in Criminal Litigation is based on the principle that the
Criminal Litigation course should prepare students for pupillage and the early years of practice at the Criminal Bar,
and that the syllabus and curriculum should focus upon the fundamental principles, key rules and core elements of
criminal litigation.
This updated version of the syllabus applies to all centrally set assessments taking place in the calendar year 2023.
The updated syllabus is based on Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023, including Supplement 1, which was published
alongside the main work. The cut-off date for syllabus content is 29 July 2022, the date to which the material in the
main volume of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023 is up to date. Students assessed on the current syllabus will not
be tested upon material appearing in later Supplements to Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023.
Marc Howe, Oxford Brookes University
HHJ Timothy Godfrey, Chelmsford Crown Court
30 November 2022
, Required Content for the Centrally Set Assessment in Criminal Litigation 2023
1. Overview of criminal procedure
1. The classification of offences (indictable, either-way and summary)
2. The structure of the criminal courts in England and Wales
3. The funding of criminal cases
4. The importance and application of the Criminal Procedure Rules, in particular the overriding objective and the
case management functions of the court
Note
For the purposes of the assessment students will be required to know the classification of the following
offences: theft, robbery, burglary, fraud, sexual assault, rape, common assault, ABH, GBH/wounding contrary to
sections 18 and 20 OAPA 1861, criminal damage and possession, possession with intent and supply of Class A
and B drugs.
Students will also find it important to be familiar with the explanatory material set out in this section of the
syllabus, which forms the basis of understanding the examinable material set out in the other sections of the
syllabus.
1. Explanatory material which will not be assessed on the classification of offences will consist of definition of the
classes of offences and determining the class of an offence. The relevant material is addressed in paragraphs
D6.1-6.4 of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023.
2. Explanatory material which will not be assessed on the structure of the criminal courts in England and Wales will
consist of the creation and status of the Crown Court, judges in the Crown Court, role of the justices in the
Crown Court, trial on indictment, appeals to the Crown Court, committal for sentence to the Crown Court,
summary offences in the Crown Court, bail in the Crown Court, magistrates’ courts, magistrates and district
judges in the magistrates’ courts, jurisdiction of magistrates’ courts, statutory bases of the jurisdiction of the
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and appeals to the Supreme Court from the Court of Appeal (Criminal
Division). The relevant material is addressed in paragraphs D3.1, D3.2, D3.4, the first sub-paragraph of D3.11,
D3.14-3.18, D3.20, D3.24, D26.1 and D30.3-30.4 of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023.
3. Explanatory material which will not be assessed on funding of criminal cases will consist of public funding and
applying for a representation order in a magistrates’ court and the Crown Court. The relevant material is
addressed in paragraphs D32.1, D32.6 and the first three sub-paragraphs (up to “It was wrong to apply
hindsight.”) of D32.7 of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023.
4. Explanatory material which will not be assessed on the importance and application of the Criminal Procedure
Rules, the overriding objective and the case management functions of the court will consist of the overriding
objective, case management, rationale of case management, the court’s role in case management, balancing
efficiency and fairness, duties of the parties in case management, case progression officers, practical case
management and consequences of failure to comply with rules, directions and time limits. The relevant material
is addressed in paragraphs D4.3, D4.7-4.8, the first sub-paragraph of D4.9, D4.10, D4.11, D4.13 and D4.14-4.16
of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2023. Explanatory material which will not be assessed will also consist of the
content of the following provisions of the Criminal Procedure Rules: CrimPR rules 1.1-1.3 (the overriding
objective) and rules 3.2-3.3, 3.5, 3.8 and 3.13 (case management).
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