What do they mean by that?!?
An A-Z guide to some of the official language you may come across
- Appeal – If a prisoner feels they have been wrongly accused or that their sentence is too long they can ask for their case to be heard again.
- Adjourn – this is where the case is postponed.
- Acquit – found ‘not guilty’
- Bail – a defendant granted bail is freed by the police or the court, sometimes with conditions with which they have to comply, until a stated date when they will return to court.
- Closed visit – Visitors are taken to a room with a glass screen dividing them from the prisoner so there can be no physical contact between them. This happens if the prison has concerns about the prisoner that drugs or other things may be passed by the visitor.
- Children’s visits – Some prisons allow special visits where the parent in prison gets to spend extra time with their child.
- Home Detention Curfew (HDC or tagging) – This scheme applies to prisoners serving sentences of between 3 months and under 4 years. It allows prisoners to live outside of prison providing they do not breach the rules of their curfew and is meant to help prisoners prepare for their life after release.
- Recorder – A part-time Judge of the Crown Court
- Remanded – This means the person has to stay in prison while they are waiting for their case to be heard. Sometime the time spent in custody will be deducted from their sentence if they are found guilty.
- Sentence – This is the length of time someone will be sent to prison for.
- Summons – A document addressed to a defendant requiring him to attend court at a stated time to answer an information or complaint.
- Trial – This is when all the facts are brought to court and the judge or jury decide if the person is guilty or innocent.
- Warrant of arrest – A document issued by the court addressed to the police requiring them to arrest the defendant and bring him before the court.