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Insights

Articles on criminal law and what to do next

Notes from Astons Law Chambers on criminal law and the questions that come up most. If a case is live, the first call is free.

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22 May 2026

What happens at a first hearing in the Magistrates' Court

What a first hearing in the Magistrates' Court involves, what is decided on the day, and why the period before it often matters more than the hearing itself.

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