Overview

You

need

to

be

registered

to

vote

before

you

can

vote

in

UK

elections

or

referendums

If

you

’re

eligible

you

can

vote

in

person

on

the

day

of

the

election

at

a

named

polling

station

You

can

also

apply

for

a

postal

or

proxy

vote

instead

Find

out

about

voting

safely

during

coronavirus

Ways

of

voting

You

can

vote

in

person

at

a

polling

station

by

post

by

asking

someone

else

to

vote

for

you

voting

by

proxy

You

can

not

vote

online

in

any

elections

Eligibility

to

vote

You

can

vote

when

you

’re

years

old

in

England

and

Northern

Ireland

years

old

in

Scottish

Parliament

and

local

elections

and

other

elections

when

you

’re

years

old

in

Welsh

Parliament

elections

and

other

elections

when

you

’re

Elections

you

can

vote

in

Different

elections

have

different

rules

on

who

can

vote

Voting

and

coronavirus

Elections

and

referendums

are

going

ahead

during

coronavirus

though

you

may

see

changes

to

some

processes

You

can

still

vote

in

person

at

a

polling

station

If

you

’re

self

isolating

clinically

extremely

vulnerable

or

do

not

want

to

go

to

the

polling

station

you

can

vote

by

post

or

vote

by

proxy

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

an

emergency

proxy

vote

at

short

notice

if

you

need

to

self

isolate

shortly

before

or

on

election

day

At

the

polling

station

Because

of

there

will

be

safety

measures

in

place

at

polling

stations

to

help

you

vote

safely

for

example

a

one

way

system

or

restrictions

on

the

number

of

people

allowed

in

If

you

choose

to

vote

in

person

make

sure

you

wear

a

face

covering

unless

you

’re

exempt

bring

your

own

pen

or

pencil

there

will

be

clean

pencils

available

at

the

polling

station

if

you

forget

to

bring

your

own

use

the

hand

sanitiser

provided

when

entering

and

leaving

the

polling

station

keep

to

social

distancing

guidelines

If

you

have

symptoms

or

have

been

asked

to

self

isolate

Do

not

visit

the

polling

station

Apply

for

an

emergency

proxy

vote

instead

Your

proxy

can

also

apply

if

they

develop

symptoms

You

can

apply

until

pm

on

election

day

There

are

different

forms

to

apply

for

an

emergency

proxy

vote

in

England

apply

for

an

emergency

proxy

vote

in

Scotland

apply

for

an

emergency

proxy

vote

in

Wales

Voting

in

person

You

vote

in

person

at

a

polling

station

usually

in

a

public

building

such

as

a

school

or

local

hall

Your

poll

card

You

’ll

be

sent

a

poll

card

just

before

an

election

telling

you

when

to

vote

and

at

which

polling

station

You

can

only

vote

at

the

polling

station

location

on

your

card

If

you

have

not

received

a

poll

card

but

think

you

should

contact

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

You

can

still

vote

if

you

’ve

lost

your

card

When

you

can

vote

Polling

stations

will

be

open

from

am

to

pm

on

the

day

of

an

election

polling

day

When

you

get

to

the

polling

station

Give

your

name

and

address

to

the

staff

inside

the

polling

station

when

you

arrive

You

’ll

be

given

a

ballot

paper

containing

a

list

of

the

people

parties

or

options

you

can

vote

for

ID

you

need

to

bring

If

you

live

in

England

Wales

or

Scotland

you

do

not

need

to

bring

any

identification

to

vote

You

will

need

to

show

photo

ID

to

vote

in

Northern

Ireland

your

passport

driving

licence

Electoral

Identity

Card

or

certain

kinds

of

Translink

Smartpass

You

do

not

have

to

take

your

poll

card

with

you

Filling

in

your

ballot

paper

Follow

the

instructions

on

the

notices

in

the

polling

booth

and

on

the

top

of

the

ballot

paper

to

vote

Voting

if

you

have

a

disability

If

you

have

a

disability

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

can

tell

you

about

physical

access

for

example

wheelchair

ramps

and

disabled

parking

spaces

low

level

polling

booths

equipment

for

voters

with

a

visual

impairment

Every

polling

station

must

provide

at

least

one

large

print

display

version

of

the

ballot

paper

and

a

special

tactile

voting

device

TVD

to

help

people

with

sight

loss

Voting

by

post

You

must

apply

for

a

postal

vote

if

you

want

to

vote

by

post

for

example

if

you

’re

away

from

home

you

’re

abroad

and

want

to

vote

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

You

do

not

need

to

give

a

reason

unless

you

’re

voting

in

Northern

Ireland

Apply

for

a

postal

vote

You

can

apply

to

vote

by

post

for

one

of

the

following

a

single

election

on

a

specific

date

a

specific

period

if

you

want

to

vote

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

permanently

Arrange

to

vote

by

proxy

if

there

are

under

weeks

until

election

day

and

you

have

not

made

arrangements

There

’s

a

different

form

to

apply

to

vote

by

post

in

Northern

Ireland

Change

where

your

postal

vote

card

is

sent

Make

a

new

application

for

a

postal

vote

if

you

move

house

or

you

’ll

be

away

from

home

when

the

postal

vote

is

sent

out

There

’s

a

different

form

for

Northern

Ireland

Completing

and

returning

your

postal

vote

When

voting

by

post

you

should

mark

your

vote

on

your

ballot

paper

in

secret

fill

in

the

postal

voting

statement

put

the

ballot

and

statement

in

the

envelope

provided

seal

the

envelope

yourself

Post

your

ballot

back

as

quickly

as

possible

to

make

sure

it

’s

counted

If

you

’re

too

late

to

post

your

ballot

paper

Take

it

to

your

local

polling

station

by

pm

on

election

day

or

Electoral

Registration

Office

before

they

close

In

Northern

Ireland

take

it

to

your

local

Area

Electoral

Office

before

they

close

Replace

a

lost

or

damaged

ballot

paper

Your

ballot

paper

needs

to

clearly

display

your

details

and

voting

choice

If

it

has

been

damaged

you

need

to

get

another

one

You

can

either

ask

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

to

post

a

replacement

collect

a

replacement

from

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

up

to

pm

on

election

day

or

the

day

before

in

Northern

Ireland

You

can

not

vote

at

a

polling

station

if

you

registered

to

vote

by

post

but

your

ballot

paper

was

lost

or

damaged

Voting

by

proxy

If

you

’re

unable

to

vote

in

person

you

can

ask

someone

to

vote

on

your

behalf

This

is

called

a

proxy

vote

You

can

only

apply

for

a

proxy

vote

under

certain

circumstances

including

being

away

on

polling

day

having

a

medical

issue

or

disability

not

being

able

to

vote

in

person

because

of

work

or

military

service

Your

proxy

should

be

someone

you

trust

to

vote

on

your

behalf

You

’ll

need

to

tell

them

which

candidate

or

referendum

outcome

you

want

to

vote

for

How

to

apply

for

a

proxy

vote

Apply

for

a

proxy

vote

using

a

paper

form

You

need

to

send

it

to

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

Usually

you

need

to

apply

for

a

proxy

vote

at

least

working

days

before

election

day

if

you

want

to

vote

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

There

’s

a

different

form

to

apply

to

vote

by

proxy

in

Northern

Ireland

Apply

at

least

working

days

before

election

day

Apply

for

an

emergency

proxy

vote

If

the

proxy

vote

deadline

has

passed

you

may

be

able

to

apply

for

an

emergency

proxy

vote

if

you

both

can

not

vote

in

person

because

of

your

employment

or

a

disability

became

aware

of

this

reason

after

the

proxy

deadline

You

can

apply

until

pm

on

the

day

of

the

election

Fill

in

a

paper

form

to

apply

to

vote

by

emergency

proxy

based

on

your

employment

apply

to

vote

by

emergency

proxy

based

on

your

disability

An

appropriate

person

for

example

your

employer

or

a

doctor

must

sign

the

application

form

Send

it

to

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

You

can

also

apply

for

an

emergency

proxy

vote

if

you

or

your

proxy

need

to

self

isolate

because

of

How

long

your

proxy

vote

is

for

You

can

apply

to

vote

by

proxy

for

a

single

election

on

a

specific

date

for

a

specific

period

if

you

want

to

vote

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

permanently

Who

can

act

as

a

proxy

You

can

ask

anyone

to

act

as

your

proxy

as

long

as

they

are

registered

to

vote

are

allowed

to

vote

in

the

type

of

election

taking

place

can

vote

in

the

polling

station

stated

on

your

poll

card

If

they

can

not

get

to

your

polling

station

they

will

need

to

contact

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

to

arrange

to

cast

their

proxy

vote

by

post

Change

or

cancel

your

proxy

vote

To

change

who

acts

as

your

proxy

or

to

start

voting

in

person

contact

your

local

Electoral

Registration

Office

If

you

want

to

vote

by

post

instead

complete

a

postal

vote

application

Voting

from

abroad

How

you

vote

when

you

’re

abroad

depends

on

whether

you

’ll

be

abroad

temporarily

or

living

abroad

where

you

want

to

vote

If

you

’ll

be

abroad

temporarily

You

can

vote

by

post

or

proxy

if

you

’ll

be

abroad

temporarily

on

election

day

for

example

on

holiday

or

a

work

trip

Voting

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

You

can

arrange

to

vote

by

post

for

someone

else

to

vote

for

you

vote

by

proxy

If

you

’re

abroad

on

election

day

you

need

to

make

arrangements

in

advance

Apply

to

vote

by

proxy

if

the

election

is

less

than

weeks

away

and

you

have

not

made

arrangements

yet

Your

postal

ballot

will

be

sent

to

the

address

you

’ve

chosen

no

earlier

than

days

before

the

election

You

need

to

return

your

ballot

before

pm

on

polling

day

Voting

in

Northern

Ireland

There

’s

a

different

process

to

apply

to

vote

by

post

or

proxy

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

and

will

be

abroad

temporarily

on

election

day

If

you

will

not

have

time

to

receive

and

return

your

postal

ballot

in

Northern

Ireland

before

going

abroad

you

’ll

need

to

vote

by

proxy

You

can

not

apply

to

have

your

postal

vote

sent

outside

the

UK

If

you

’re

moving

or

living

abroad

You

can

only

vote

in

UK

Parliament

elections

You

may

be

able

to

vote

in

referendums

Each

referendum

has

different

rules

on

who

can

vote

in

it

You

need

to

register

as

an

overseas

voter

You

can

vote

by

post

or

proxy

if

you

’re

eligible

You

’ll

be

asked

to

make

this

choice

when

you

register

You

’ll

then

need

to

apply

by

filling

in

and

posting

one

of

the

following

the

paper

form

to

apply

for

a

postal

vote

the

paper

form

to

apply

for

a

proxy

vote

You

can

also

ask

for

the

form

to

be

emailed

or

posted

to

you

when

you

register

online

If

you

’re

registered

in

Northern

Ireland

you

can

not

vote

by

post

from

abroad

Get

help

voting

You

can

contact

your

Electoral

Register

Office

to

find

out

when

postal

votes

might

be

sent

This

could

help

you

decide

whether

to

vote

by

proxy

or

by

post


Overview

You

can

appeal

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

if

you

think

there

’s

a

legal

mistake

with

a

decision

made

by

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

The

tribunal

is

independent

of

government

and

will

listen

to

both

sides

of

the

argument

before

making

a

decision

Help

you

can

get

You

can

get

legal

advice

including

from

a

solicitor

or

help

from

a

regulated

immigration

adviser

You

can

also

contact

Citizens

Advice

You

may

be

able

to

get

legal

aid

Read

the

guide

on

representing

yourself

if

you

’re

not

going

to

have

a

legal

representative

You

may

be

able

to

get

asylum

support

for

example

housing

and

money

while

you

’re

waiting

to

find

out

if

you

’ll

be

given

asylum

Contact

the

tribunal

if

you

have

any

questions

about

your

appeal

The

tribunal

can

not

give

you

legal

advice

How

to

appeal

You

must

be

able

to

make

a

case

for

why

the

decision

was

legally

wrong

For

example

if

the

tribunal

did

not

apply

the

correct

law

or

wrongly

interpreted

the

law

did

not

follow

the

correct

procedures

had

no

evidence

or

not

enough

evidence

to

support

its

decision

Ask

for

permission

to

appeal

You

must

ask

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

for

permission

to

appeal

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

You

’ll

be

given

the

form

to

ask

permission

from

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

when

you

get

your

decision

Send

it

with

a

copy

of

the

decision

to

the

address

on

the

form

Deadlines

for

asking

the

First

tier

Tribunal

for

permission

to

appeal

You

must

ask

for

permission

to

appeal

within

a

certain

period

of

time

of

getting

your

decision

When

you

must

appeal

by

depends

on

whether

you

’re

inside

or

outside

the

UK

When

you

must

appeal

by

You

’re

inside

the

UK

days

after

the

date

on

the

written

reasons

for

the

decisions

You

’re

outside

the

UK

days

after

the

date

on

the

written

reasons

for

the

decisions

Fees

There

is

no

fee

to

appeal

to

the

tribunal

If

you

’re

refused

permission

to

appeal

You

can

apply

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

for

permission

to

appeal

if

the

First

tier

Tribunal

refuses

or

only

gives

your

permission

to

appeal

on

limited

grounds

Download

and

fill

in

the

Upper

Tribunal

permission

request

form

and

send

it

with

the

appropriate

documents

to

the

address

on

the

form

You

must

also

say

whether

you

want

a

hearing

or

not

If

your

case

was

heard

at

either

the

Yarl

’s

Wood

or

the

Harmondsworth

hearing

centre

as

a

Detained

Immigration

Appeal

send

your

application

to

the

Harmondsworth

hearing

centre

Deadlines

for

asking

the

Upper

Tribunal

for

permission

to

appeal

How

long

you

have

depends

on

where

you

are

and

how

you

received

your

refusal

letter

from

the

First

tier

Tribunal

When

you

must

appeal

by

You

’re

inside

the

UK

days

after

the

date

on

the

decision

You

’re

outside

the

UK

month

after

the

date

on

the

decision

Documents

you

must

send

with

your

application

Include

copies

of

the

following

documents

with

your

form

the

decision

by

the

First

tier

Tribunal

the

notice

of

refusal

of

permission

to

appeal

by

the

First

tier

Tribunal

or

the

refusal

to

admit

the

application

for

permission

a

statement

clearly

setting

out

your

reasons

for

why

you

think

the

First

tier

Tribunal

made

a

mistake

any

other

relevant

documents

that

you

sent

to

the

First

tier

Tribunal

You

also

need

to

include

any

written

evidence

that

shows

why

you

think

the

First

tier

Tribunal

made

a

legal

mistake

If

your

application

is

late

you

must

explain

in

writing

why

it

is

late

The

tribunal

will

then

decide

if

it

can

review

your

application

Ask

for

a

hearing

You

can

ask

on

your

application

for

a

decision

to

be

made

either

just

on

the

information

in

your

application

at

a

hearing

that

you

or

your

representative

can

go

to

The

tribunal

can

decide

to

have

a

hearing

even

if

you

do

not

ask

for

one

You

’ll

be

told

if

this

is

the

case

and

invited

to

attend

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

If

they

do

not

hold

a

hearing

a

judge

will

decide

your

case

based

on

your

application

Withdrawing

your

appeal

Only

you

or

your

representative

can

withdraw

your

appeal

Contact

the

tribunal

in

writing

if

you

want

to

withdraw

your

appeal

include

your

appeal

number

The

tribunal

will

decide

whether

to

give

you

permission

to

withdraw

or

if

the

hearing

will

go

ahead

If

your

hearing

is

less

than

days

away

contact

the

hearing

centre

where

your

appeal

is

scheduled

If

you

have

a

hearing

You

or

your

representative

will

be

told

when

and

where

your

hearing

will

take

place

You

can

check

the

daily

courts

lists

on

the

day

of

your

hearing

to

find

out

if

anything

has

changed

You

may

need

to

attend

a

pre

hearing

first

where

the

tribunal

will

check

that

you

’re

ready

for

the

full

hearing

to

take

place

Bring

copies

of

all

the

documents

that

you

gave

to

the

tribunal

You

can

bring

a

friend

to

represent

you

ask

the

judge

at

the

beginning

of

the

hearing

if

this

is

the

case

Special

requirements

Write

to

the

Customer

Enquiry

Unit

at

least

weeks

before

your

hearing

if

you

need

any

special

help

for

example

wheelchair

access

Private

hearings

or

hearings

by

video

Hearings

are

usually

carried

out

in

public

If

you

have

an

important

need

for

example

you

think

you

’ll

be

put

in

danger

if

you

go

to

the

hearing

you

can

ask

for

your

name

not

to

appear

on

any

tribunal

documents

or

court

lists

for

the

tribunal

to

be

private

and

not

open

to

the

public

to

attend

the

hearing

by

video

link

Asking

for

a

male

or

female

judge

You

can

ask

for

a

male

or

female

judge

if

you

think

there

are

issues

in

your

appeal

that

make

it

appropriate

The

tribunal

will

decide

if

it

can

do

this

Make

your

request

as

soon

as

possible

when

your

apply

and

no

later

than

days

before

the

hearing

If

you

can

not

attend

the

hearing

You

must

attend

the

hearing

yourself

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

You

can

also

bring

a

solicitor

or

regulated

immigration

adviser

with

you

If

you

’re

not

in

the

UK

you

can

ask

a

solicitor

regulated

immigration

adviser

or

the

person

who

supported

your

application

your

sponsor

to

attend

the

hearing

in

your

place

You

can

only

be

represented

at

the

hearing

by

a

solicitor

or

regulated

immigration

adviser

your

sponsor

can

not

act

on

your

behalf

Your

sponsor

can

not

represent

you

at

the

hearing

they

can

only

be

told

the

tribunal

’s

decision

given

information

over

the

phone

You

must

write

to

the

tribunal

to

tell

them

if

your

sponsor

will

be

attending

the

hearing

in

your

place

Include

the

case

reference

number

of

your

appeal

Children

at

the

hearing

You

can

not

take

children

into

the

hearing

room

with

you

If

you

need

to

bring

them

to

the

tribunal

you

’ll

need

to

bring

someone

to

look

after

them

If

your

appeal

can

not

be

resolved

at

the

hearing

If

your

appeal

is

not

held

on

its

scheduled

day

for

any

reason

for

example

there

is

not

a

judge

available

it

’ll

be

adjourned

and

rescheduled

for

another

day

Your

hearing

may

also

be

adjourned

as

part

heard

if

there

is

not

enough

time

to

finish

it

or

it

can

not

be

resolved

on

the

day

for

example

because

more

evidence

is

needed

The

tribunal

will

arrange

another

hearing

with

the

same

people

present

The

tribunal

's

decision

You

’ll

normally

get

your

decision

in

writing

in

days

If

you

win

your

appeal

If

the

Upper

Tribunal

decides

that

a

mistake

was

made

it

can

overrule

the

decision

and

make

its

own

judgement

order

the

First

tier

Tribunal

to

hear

the

case

again

The

Home

Office

can

appeal

the

decision

of

the

tribunal

If

you

lose

your

appeal

You

may

be

able

to

appeal

to

a

higher

court

if

you

think

there

was

a

legal

mistake

made

by

the

tribunal

Get

legal

help

or

advice

if

you

’re

not

sure

about

this

Ask

for

permission

You

must

write

to

the

upper

tribunal

and

ask

for

permission

before

you

appeal

How

long

you

have

to

do

this

depends

on

where

you

are

and

how

you

received

your

decision

Refusal

letter

by

post

Refusal

by

email

or

delivered

personally

You

’re

inside

the

UK

working

days

working

days

You

’re

outside

the

UK

days

days

Once

you

have

permission

you

should

appeal

to

the

relevant

higher

court

The

Court

of

Appeal

in

England

and

Wales

The

Court

of

Session

in

Scotland

The

Court

of

Appeal

in

Northern

Ireland

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

being

given

permission

England

and

Wales

days

of

being

given

permission

Scotland

days

of

being

given

permission

Northern

Ireland

You

may

have

to

pay

court

fees

and

the

other

party

’s

costs

If

you

’re

refused

permission

You

can

ask

the

relevant

higher

court

for

permission

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

being

refused

permission

England

and

Wales

days

of

being

refused

permission

Scotland

days

of

being

refused

permission

Northern

Ireland

Legislation

and

previous

decisions

Read

the

rules

the

tribunal

must

follow

and

its

decisions

on

previous

cases

Legislation

The

Upper

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

must

follow

the

rules

and

process

in

the

The

Tribunal

Procedure

Upper

Tribunal

Rules

The

tribunal

has

issued

additional

guidance

on

certain

issues

practice

statements

practice

directions

The

tribunal

will

make

a

decision

based

on

legislation

including

the

Immigration

Act

Nationality

Immigration

and

Asylum

Act

Immigration

Asylum

and

Nationality

Act

Tribunals

Courts

and

Enforcement

Act

UK

Borders

Act

Borders

Citizenship

and

Immigration

Act

Immigration

Rules

Immigration

European

Economic

Area

Regulations

Previous

decisions

You

can

search

for

decisions

made

in

other

cases


Overview

You

may

be

able

to

appeal

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

Administrative

Appeals

Chamber

if

you

think

there

was

a

legal

mistake

with

a

decision

made

against

you

by

certain

lower

tribunals

and

organisations

You

might

be

able

to

appeal

if

your

case

was

about

social

security

or

child

support

war

pensions

and

armed

forces

compensation

mental

health

special

education

needs

or

disabilities

a

dispute

that

was

heard

by

the

General

Regulatory

Chamber

a

decision

made

by

the

Disclosure

and

Barring

Service

a

decision

made

by

the

Traffic

Commissioner

or

the

Transport

Regulation

Unit

in

Northern

Ireland

There

are

also

other

cases

that

the

tribunal

deals

with

There

’s

a

different

process

if

your

case

is

about

criminal

injuries

compensation

The

tribunal

is

independent

of

government

and

will

listen

to

both

sides

of

the

argument

before

making

a

decision

You

’ll

need

to

apply

to

Northern

Ireland

commissioners

if

your

case

was

heard

in

Northern

Ireland

and

was

about

social

security

or

war

pensions

Get

help

with

your

appeal

You

can

read

more

detail

about

the

appeal

process

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

free

legal

advice

from

Citizens

Advice

or

help

from

Welfare

Rights

if

you

’re

in

Scotland

Contact

the

tribunal

England

and

Wales

Scotland

Northern

Ireland

How

to

appeal

You

may

have

to

ask

for

permission

to

appeal

it

depends

on

your

case

If

you

’re

appealing

a

decision

made

by

another

tribunal

You

must

get

permission

to

appeal

First

ask

the

tribunal

who

made

the

decision

for

permission

to

appeal

You

usually

have

to

do

this

within

days

of

the

decision

speak

to

that

tribunal

to

find

out

the

deadline

Once

you

have

permission

download

and

fill

in

the

relevant

appeal

form

Send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

within

month

of

getting

permission

If

you

’re

refused

permission

You

can

ask

the

Upper

Tribunal

Administrative

Appeals

Chamber

for

permission

directly

using

the

relevant

permission

form

Send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

within

month

of

being

refused

If

you

’re

appealing

a

decision

made

by

an

organisation

You

will

not

need

to

ask

for

permission

to

appeal

unless

you

’re

appealing

a

decision

made

by

Disclosure

and

Barring

Service

Appeal

using

the

relevant

appeal

form

and

send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

Appealing

a

Disclosure

and

Barring

Service

decision

You

’ll

need

to

ask

the

Upper

Tribunal

Administrative

Appeals

Chamber

for

permission

before

you

can

appeal

Use

the

relevant

permission

form

and

send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

How

your

case

will

be

decided

A

judge

will

make

a

decision

using

your

appeal

form

the

documents

you

’ve

provided

the

documents

used

by

the

lower

tribunal

or

organisation

that

decided

your

case

The

decision

will

be

sent

to

you

by

post

Attending

a

hearing

In

certain

cases

you

may

be

asked

to

attend

a

hearing

to

present

your

case

You

can

also

ask

for

a

hearing

when

you

apply

the

judge

will

decide

if

it

’s

necessary

You

’ll

be

told

the

time

and

date

of

the

hearing

and

where

it

’s

being

held

You

’ll

usually

be

told

at

least

days

beforehand

if

there

’s

going

to

be

a

hearing

Hearings

can

be

held

sooner

than

this

under

exceptional

circumstances

or

if

all

parties

agree

to

a

shorter

notice

period

You

’ll

be

sent

instructions

on

how

to

prepare

and

what

documents

you

’ll

need

to

provide

Getting

a

time

extension

You

may

be

able

to

get

a

time

extension

if

you

need

more

time

to

prepare

ask

the

judge

You

must

have

a

good

reason

for

example

you

’re

having

problems

finding

a

document

or

you

’re

ill

If

you

lose

your

case

You

may

be

able

to

appeal

to

a

higher

court

if

you

think

there

was

a

legal

mistake

made

by

the

tribunal

Get

legal

help

or

advice

if

you

’re

not

sure

about

this

Ask

for

permission

You

must

write

to

the

tribunal

and

ask

for

permission

before

you

appeal

You

must

do

this

within

one

month

of

getting

the

decision

or

months

for

social

security

child

support

or

war

pensions

and

armed

forces

cases

England

and

Wales

Scotland

Northern

Ireland

Once

you

have

permission

you

should

appeal

to

the

relevant

higher

court

The

Court

of

Appeal

in

England

and

Wales

The

Court

of

Session

in

Scotland

The

Court

of

Appeal

in

Northern

Ireland

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

being

given

permission

England

and

Wales

days

of

being

given

permission

Scotland

weeks

of

being

given

permission

Northern

Ireland

You

may

have

to

pay

court

fees

and

the

other

party

’s

costs

If

you

’re

refused

permission

You

can

ask

the

relevant

higher

court

for

permission

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

being

refused

permission

in

England

and

Wales

The

time

limits

are

different

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

contact

the

relevant

tribunal

office

for

details

Legislation

and

previous

decisions

Read

the

rules

the

tribunal

must

follow

and

its

decisions

on

previous

cases

Previous

decisions

Search

the

decisions

database

to

see

how

and

why

previous

decisions

have

been

made

Legislation

The

tribunal

must

follow

the

rules

and

process

set

out

in

The

Tribunal

Procedure

Upper

Tribunal

Rules


Overview

If

you

are

charged

with

a

crime

you

will

be

given

a

charge

sheet

This

sets

out

the

details

of

the

crime

you

are

being

charged

with

The

police

will

decide

if

you

can

go

home

until

the

court

hearing

but

may

have

to

follow

certain

rules

known

as

bail

are

kept

in

police

custody

until

you

are

taken

to

court

for

your

hearing

Your

first

court

hearing

after

you

are

charged

with

a

crime

will

be

at

a

magistrates

court

even

if

your

trial

will

be

at

a

Crown

Court

later

on

If

you

’re

charged

with

a

minor

offence

your

case

could

be

decided

without

going

to

court

single

justice

procedure

If

you

get

a

single

justice

procedure

notice

you

must

respond

within

days

The

rules

are

different

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

Young

people

If

you

’re

under

your

first

hearing

will

usually

be

at

a

youth

court

If

you

’re

under

the

police

must

arrange

for

you

to

be

held

in

local

authority

accommodation

if

possible

before

you

go

to

court

If

you

’re

aged

to

the

police

can

decide

to

keep

you

at

the

police

station

if

they

think

it

will

protect

the

public

Bail

You

can

be

released

on

bail

at

the

police

station

after

you

’ve

been

charged

This

means

you

will

be

able

to

go

home

until

your

court

hearing

If

you

are

given

bail

you

might

have

to

agree

to

conditions

like

living

at

a

particular

address

not

contacting

certain

people

giving

your

passport

to

the

police

so

you

can

not

leave

the

UK

reporting

to

a

police

station

at

agreed

times

for

example

once

a

week

If

you

do

not

stick

to

these

conditions

you

can

be

arrested

again

and

be

taken

to

prison

to

wait

for

your

court

hearing

When

you

attend

your

hearing

at

a

magistrates

court

you

might

be

given

bail

again

until

your

trial

begins

Reasons

you

may

not

be

given

bail

You

’re

unlikely

to

be

given

bail

if

you

are

charged

with

a

serious

offence

for

example

armed

robbery

you

’ve

been

convicted

of

a

serious

crime

in

the

past

you

’ve

been

given

bail

in

the

past

and

not

stuck

to

the

terms

the

police

think

you

may

not

turn

up

for

your

hearing

the

police

think

you

might

commit

a

crime

while

you

’re

on

bail

Remand

If

the

court

decides

to

put

you

on

remand

it

means

you

will

go

to

prison

until

your

hearing

at

a

magistrates

court

If

you

are

under

you

will

be

taken

to

a

secure

centre

for

young

people

not

an

adult

prison

You

will

probably

be

put

on

remand

if

you

have

been

charged

with

a

serious

crime

for

example

armed

robbery

you

have

been

convicted

of

a

serious

crime

in

the

past

the

police

think

you

may

not

go

to

your

court

hearing

the

police

think

you

may

commit

another

crime

while

on

bail

you

have

been

given

bail

before

and

not

stuck

to

the

terms

When

you

attend

your

hearing

at

a

magistrates

court

you

might

be

put

on

remand

again

until

your

trial

begins

even

if

you

were

previously

given

bail


Magistrates

courts

All

criminal

cases

start

in

a

magistrates

court

Cases

are

heard

by

either

or

magistrates

a

district

judge

There

is

not

a

jury

in

a

magistrates

court

Cases

a

magistrates

court

deals

with

A

magistrates

court

normally

handles

cases

known

as

summary

offences

for

example

most

motoring

offences

minor

criminal

damage

common

assault

not

causing

significant

injury

It

can

also

deal

with

some

of

the

more

serious

offences

such

as

burglary

drugs

offences

These

are

called

either

way

offences

and

can

be

heard

either

in

a

magistrates

court

or

a

Crown

Court

Find

your

local

magistrates

court

Cases

that

magistrates

pass

to

the

Crown

Court

Magistrates

courts

always

pass

the

most

serious

crimes

to

the

Crown

Court

for

example

murder

rape

robbery

These

are

known

as

indictable

offences

Being

kept

in

custody

or

granted

bail

In

some

cases

the

magistrates

court

will

decide

if

you

should

be

kept

in

custody

until

your

next

court

hearing

or

released

on

bail

This

may

happen

if

another

court

hearing

is

needed

the

court

needs

more

information

before

passing

sentence

your

case

is

passed

to

the

Crown

Court

for

trial

or

sentencing

If

you

’re

released

on

bail

you

might

have

to

follow

strict

conditions

such

as

keeping

away

from

certain

people

or

places

staying

indoors

or

wearing

a

tag

If

you

do

not

attend

court

after

being

granted

bail

you

can

be

put

in

prison

Sentences

a

magistrates

court

can

give

The

court

can

give

punishments

including

up

to

months

in

prison

or

up

to

months

in

total

for

more

than

one

offence

a

fine

a

community

sentence

like

doing

unpaid

work

in

the

community

a

ban

for

example

from

driving

or

keeping

an

animal

Courts

can

also

give

a

combination

of

punishments

for

example

a

fine

and

unpaid

work

in

the

community

If

the

court

decides

your

sentence

should

be

for

longer

than

months

it

can

pass

your

case

to

the

Crown

Court

for

sentencing

Appealing

a

sentence

or

conviction

If

you

disagree

with

verdict

of

the

magistrates

court

you

may

be

able

to

appeal

Crown

Court

Types

of

cases

the

Crown

Court

deals

with

A

Crown

Court

deals

with

serious

criminal

cases

for

example

murder

rape

robbery

It

also

deals

with

appeals

against

a

magistrates

court

conviction

or

sentence

cases

passed

from

a

magistrates

court

for

trial

or

sentencing

Find

a

Crown

Court

You

can

see

what

cases

a

court

is

hearing

each

day

and

check

their

progress

on

the

court

lists

Who

does

what

in

the

court

A

Crown

Court

normally

has

a

jury

which

decides

if

you

’re

guilty

or

not

has

a

judge

who

decides

what

sentence

you

get

Your

solicitor

if

you

have

one

can

explain

what

happens

in

court

the

judge

and

court

staff

will

also

give

instructions

about

the

trial

Sentences

a

Crown

Court

can

give

A

Crown

Court

can

give

a

range

of

sentences

including

community

sentences

prison

sentences

including

life

sentences

Appealing

a

sentence

or

conviction

If

you

disagree

with

the

Crown

Court

’s

verdict

you

may

be

able

to

appeal

Youth

courts

A

youth

court

is

a

special

type

of

magistrates

court

for

people

aged

between

and

A

youth

court

has

either

magistrates

a

district

judge

There

is

not

a

jury

in

a

youth

court

Your

parent

or

guardian

must

come

with

you

if

you

’re

under

if

you

’re

to

and

they

’re

given

a

court

order

How

youth

courts

are

different

from

adult

courts

Youth

courts

are

less

formal

than

adult

courts

for

example

members

of

the

public

are

not

allowed

in

to

the

court

unless

they

get

permission

you

are

called

by

your

first

name

Types

of

cases

a

youth

court

deals

with

A

youth

court

deals

with

cases

like

theft

and

burglary

anti

social

behaviour

drugs

offences

For

serious

crimes

like

murder

or

rape

the

case

starts

in

the

youth

court

but

will

be

passed

to

a

Crown

Court

Sentences

a

youth

court

can

give

The

court

can

give

a

range

of

sentences

including

community

sentences

Detention

and

Training

Orders

carried

out

in

secure

centres

for

young

people

Appealing

a

sentence

If

you

disagree

with

the

court

’s

verdict

you

may

be

able

to

appeal

Court

staff

can

give

you

information

on

how

to

appeal


How

jury

service

works

If

you

get

a

jury

summons

in

the

post

you

must

respond

within

days

and

confirm

if

you

can

attend

Your

name

was

chosen

randomly

from

the

electoral

register

You

’ll

be

part

of

a

jury

of

people

to

decide

the

outcome

of

a

criminal

trial

You

can

watch

a

video

about

jury

service

There

’s

also

a

Welsh

language

version

of

the

video

Jury

service

and

coronavirus

If

you

’ve

received

a

jury

summons

you

will

need

to

attend

Jury

staff

will

contact

you

to

confirm

the

days

and

times

you

need

to

attend

Do

not

go

to

court

if

you

have

symptoms

or

if

you

’re

self

isolating

or

in

quarantine

Tell

the

court

if

you

can

not

attend

You

can

read

more

about

how

coronavirus

is

affecting

jury

service

including

the

social

distancing

measures

that

are

in

place

How

long

jury

service

lasts

Jury

service

usually

lasts

up

to

working

days

If

the

trial

is

likely

to

last

longer

than

days

jury

staff

will

let

you

know

If

the

trial

is

shorter

than

days

you

may

be

asked

to

be

a

juror

on

other

trials

You

’ll

usually

need

to

be

at

court

from

am

to

Monday

to

Friday

but

times

can

vary

You

’ll

need

to

arrive

at

court

earlier

on

your

first

day

Check

your

summons

letter

for

the

exact

time

What

you

can

claim

You

will

not

be

paid

for

doing

jury

service

but

you

can

claim

some

money

back

if

you

lose

earnings

You

can

also

claim

some

expenses

for

example

travel

Find

out

what

you

can

claim

if

you

’re

an

employee

if

you

’re

self

employed

if

you

’re

not

working

What

you

can

claim

if

you

’re

an

employee

You

will

not

be

paid

for

doing

jury

service

but

you

can

claim

some

money

back

if

your

earnings

are

affected

For

each

day

you

’re

at

court

you

can

usually

claim

up

to

towards

your

loss

of

earnings

and

any

care

or

childcare

costs

outside

of

your

usual

arrangements

for

food

and

drink

the

cost

of

travel

to

and

from

court

You

’ll

be

told

how

to

claim

expenses

after

your

jury

service

has

ended

Taking

time

off

work

Give

a

copy

of

your

jury

summons

to

your

employer

Your

employer

must

let

you

have

time

off

work

but

can

ask

you

to

delay

your

jury

service

if

your

absence

will

have

a

serious

effect

on

their

business

Problems

with

your

employer

If

you

’re

not

allowed

to

take

time

off

work

for

jury

service

you

can

complain

to

an

employment

tribunal

If

you

’re

sacked

because

you

do

jury

service

you

may

be

able

to

claim

unfair

dismissal

Getting

paid

during

jury

service

Your

employer

can

choose

whether

or

not

to

pay

you

during

your

service

If

they

do

not

pay

you

you

can

claim

for

loss

of

earnings

from

the

court

If

you

get

benefits

or

financial

support

Show

your

jury

summons

to

your

benefit

office

or

work

coach

as

soon

as

you

get

it

You

’ll

continue

to

get

financial

support

and

benefits

such

as

Universal

Credit

for

the

first

weeks

After

that

the

court

will

give

you

a

loss

of

earnings

form

to

give

to

your

benefit

office

or

work

coach

What

you

can

claim

There

’s

a

limit

to

how

much

you

can

claim

for

each

day

you

’re

at

court

Loss

of

earnings

childcare

and

other

care

costs

How

much

you

can

claim

to

cover

loss

of

earnings

and

care

costs

depends

on

the

length

of

your

jury

service

and

how

many

hours

you

spend

at

court

each

day

For

the

first

days

of

jury

service

you

can

claim

up

to

a

day

if

you

spend

more

than

hours

at

court

a

day

if

you

spend

hours

or

less

at

court

If

your

jury

service

lasts

longer

than

working

days

the

amount

you

can

claim

increases

You

’ll

be

able

to

claim

up

to

a

day

if

you

spend

more

than

hours

at

court

a

day

if

you

spend

hours

or

less

at

court

Travel

and

parking

costs

How

much

you

can

claim

depends

on

how

you

travel

to

court

How

you

travel

to

court

The

court

will

pay

Bus

or

underground

Cost

of

the

ticket

Train

Cost

of

the

ticket

standard

class

return

fare

Bicycle

per

mile

Motorcycle

per

mile

Car

per

mile

check

if

the

court

will

pay

for

parking

Car

for

one

other

juror

as

a

passenger

per

mile

Car

for

each

additional

passenger

per

mile

Taxi

The

fare

ask

the

court

for

permission

before

using

a

taxi

Food

and

drink

How

much

you

can

claim

depends

on

how

many

hours

you

spend

in

court

each

day

Time

spent

each

day

The

court

will

pay

up

to

Up

to

and

including

hours

a

day

per

day

Over

hours

a

day

per

day

Estimate

your

expenses

You

can

use

a

calculator

to

check

what

you

can

claim

What

you

can

claim

if

you

’re

self

employed

You

will

not

be

paid

for

doing

jury

service

but

you

can

claim

some

money

back

if

your

earnings

are

affected

For

each

day

you

’re

at

court

you

can

usually

claim

up

to

towards

your

loss

of

earnings

and

any

care

or

childcare

costs

outside

of

your

usual

arrangements

for

food

and

drink

the

cost

of

travel

to

and

from

court

You

’ll

be

told

how

to

claim

expenses

after

your

jury

service

has

ended

You

can

ask

to

delay

your

jury

service

if

you

can

not

do

jury

service

on

the

dates

in

your

summons

letter

If

you

get

benefits

or

financial

support

Show

your

jury

summons

to

your

benefit

office

or

work

coach

as

soon

as

you

get

it

You

’ll

continue

to

get

financial

support

and

benefits

such

as

Universal

Credit

for

the

first

weeks

After

that

the

court

will

give

you

a

loss

of

earnings

form

to

give

to

your

benefit

office

or

work

coach

What

you

can

claim

There

’s

a

limit

to

how

much

you

can

claim

for

each

day

you

’re

at

court

Loss

of

earnings

childcare

and

other

care

costs

How

much

you

can

claim

to

cover

loss

of

earnings

and

care

costs

depends

on

the

length

of

your

jury

service

and

how

many

hours

you

spend

at

court

each

day

For

the

first

days

of

jury

service

you

can

claim

up

to

a

day

if

you

spend

more

than

hours

at

court

a

day

if

you

spend

hours

or

less

at

court

If

your

jury

service

lasts

longer

than

working

days

the

amount

you

can

claim

increases

You

’ll

be

able

to

claim

up

to

a

day

if

you

spend

more

than

hours

at

court

a

day

if

you

spend

hours

or

less

at

court

Travel

and

parking

costs

How

much

you

can

claim

depends

on

how

you

travel

to

court

How

you

travel

to

court

The

court

will

pay

Bus

or

underground

Cost

of

the

ticket

Train

Cost

of

the

ticket

standard

class

return

fare

Bicycle

per

mile

Motorcycle

per

mile

Car

per

mile

check

if

the

court

will

pay

for

parking

Car

for

one

other

juror

as

a

passenger

per

mile

Car

for

each

additional

passenger

per

mile

Taxi

The

fare

ask

the

court

for

permission

before

using

a

taxi

Food

and

drink

How

much

you

can

claim

depends

on

how

many

hours

you

spend

in

court

each

day

Time

spent

each

day

The

court

will

pay

up

to

Up

to

and

including

hours

a

day

per

day

Over

hours

a

day

per

day

Estimate

your

expenses

You

can

use

a

calculator

to

check

what

you

can

claim

What

you

can

claim

if

you

're

not

working

You

will

not

be

paid

for

doing

jury

service

but

you

can

claim

some

money

back

if

your

earnings

are

affected

For

each

day

you

’re

at

court

you

can

usually

claim

up

to

towards

your

loss

of

earnings

and

any

care

or

childcare

costs

outside

of

your

usual

arrangements

for

food

and

drink

the

cost

of

travel

to

and

from

court

You

’ll

be

told

how

to

claim

expenses

after

your

jury

service

has

ended

You

can

ask

to

delay

your

jury

service

if

you

can

not

do

jury

service

on

the

dates

in

your

summons

letter

If

you

get

benefits

or

financial

support

Show

your

jury

summons

to

your

benefit

office

or

work

coach

as

soon

as

you

get

it

You

’ll

continue

to

get

financial

support

and

benefits

such

as

Universal

Credit

for

the

first

weeks

After

that

the

court

will

give

you

a

loss

of

earnings

form

to

give

to

your

benefit

office

or

work

coach

What

you

can

claim

There

’s

a

limit

to

how

much

you

can

claim

for

each

day

you

’re

at

court

Childcare

and

other

care

costs

if

you

are

not

working

How

much

you

can

claim

to

cover

care

costs

depends

on

the

length

of

your

jury

service

and

how

many

hours

you

spend

at

court

each

day

For

the

first

days

of

jury

service

you

can

claim

up

to

a

day

if

you

spend

more

than

hours

at

court

a

day

if

you

spend

hours

or

less

at

court

If

your

jury

service

lasts

longer

than

working

days

the

amount

you

can

claim

increases

You

’ll

be

able

to

claim

up

to

a

day

if

you

spend

more

than

hours

at

court

a

day

if

you

spend

hours

or

less

at

court

Travel

and

parking

costs

How

much

you

can

claim

depends

on

how

you

travel

to

court

How

you

travel

to

court

The

court

will

pay

Bus

or

underground

Cost

of

the

ticket

Train

Cost

of

the

ticket

standard

class

return

fare

Bicycle

per

mile

Motorcycle

per

mile

Car

per

mile

check

if

the

court

will

pay

for

parking

Car

for

one

other

juror

as

a

passenger

per

mile

Car

for

each

additional

passenger

per

mile

Taxi

The

fare

ask

the

court

for

permission

before

using

a

taxi

Food

and

drink

How

much

you

can

claim

depends

on

how

many

hours

you

spend

in

court

each

day

Time

spent

each

day

The

court

will

pay

up

to

Up

to

and

including

hours

a

day

per

day

Over

hours

a

day

per

day

Estimate

your

expenses

You

can

use

a

calculator

to

check

what

you

can

claim

Ask

to

change

the

date

or

be

excused

If

you

can

not

do

jury

service

on

the

dates

in

your

summons

letter

you

can

ask

to

change

the

date

or

be

excused

Ask

to

change

the

date

of

your

jury

service

You

might

be

able

to

change

the

date

of

your

jury

service

to

another

date

within

the

next

months

You

’ll

need

a

good

reason

for

example

you

’re

having

an

operation

you

’re

sitting

an

exam

your

employer

will

not

give

you

time

off

work

you

have

a

holiday

booked

you

’re

a

new

parent

You

can

only

ask

to

change

the

date

once

To

change

the

date

reply

to

your

jury

summons

explaining

your

reasons

in

detail

When

you

reply

you

can

suggest

possible

dates

in

the

next

months

that

work

for

you

Ask

to

be

excused

from

jury

service

If

it

’s

not

possible

for

you

to

do

jury

service

in

the

next

months

you

can

ask

to

be

excused

You

’ll

only

be

allowed

to

do

this

in

exceptional

circumstances

for

example

you

have

a

serious

illness

or

disability

that

prevents

you

from

doing

jury

service

you

’re

a

full

time

carer

of

someone

with

an

illness

or

disability

you

’re

a

new

parent

and

will

not

be

able

to

serve

at

any

other

time

in

the

next

months

If

you

can

not

do

jury

service

because

of

coronavirus

you

should

ask

to

change

the

date

You

can

also

ask

to

be

excused

from

jury

service

if

you

’ve

done

it

in

the

last

years

If

you

do

not

do

jury

service

this

time

you

could

still

receive

a

summons

in

the

future

To

ask

to

be

excused

reply

to

your

jury

summons

explaining

your

reasons

in

detail

You

might

need

to

give

proof

for

example

if

you

’re

ill

you

might

be

asked

for

a

letter

from

your

doctor

If

your

request

is

turned

down

you

can

still

ask

to

change

the

date

of

your

jury

service

If

you

disagree

with

the

decision

You

can

appeal

if

your

request

to

change

the

date

of

your

jury

service

or

be

excused

is

refused

Write

to

the

Jury

Central

Summoning

Bureau

including

why

you

disagree

with

the

decision

your

juror

number

this

is

on

your

summons

letter

your

name

and

address

your

date

of

birth

the

name

and

address

of

the

court

you

’ve

been

summoned

to

the

dates

of

your

jury

service

Get

help

Contact

the

Jury

Central

Summoning

Bureau

if

you

have

questions

about

jury

service

Respond

to

the

summons

You

must

respond

to

your

jury

summons

within

days

of

getting

it

You

can

either

reply

to

the

jury

summons

online

complete

and

return

the

form

by

post

You

can

be

fined

up

to

if

you

do

not

return

the

form

or

turn

up

for

your

jury

service

After

you

respond

The

Jury

Central

Summoning

Bureau

will

send

you

a

letter

to

confirm

details

of

your

jury

service

including

when

and

where

it

will

take

place

If

you

asked

to

change

the

date

or

to

be

excused

the

letter

will

explain

if

your

request

was

accepted

You

’ll

need

to

bring

your

summons

or

confirmation

letter

to

court

with

you

on

your

first

day

of

jury

service

Due

to

coronavirus

you

may

be

asked

to

go

to

a

different

location

than

the

one

you

were

summoned

to

If

the

court

needs

to

change

the

venue

they

will

contact

you

at

least

one

week

before

your

jury

service

is

due

to

start

Check

which

courts

offer

additional

locations

Get

help

Contact

the

Jury

Central

Summoning

Bureau

if

you

have

questions

about

jury

service

or

about

a

decision

The

Jury

Central

Summoning

Bureau

may

be

able

to

change

the

location

of

your

jury

service

if

you

’ve

been

summoned

to

a

court

far

from

where

you

live

For

example

if

you

’ve

recently

moved

house

or

if

you

’re

at

university

and

you

’ve

been

summoned

to

a

court

near

your

family

home

Contact

the

court

if

you

need

directions

have

a

question

about

your

expenses

claim

Going

to

court

as

a

juror

On

your

first

day

you

should

bring

your

jury

summons

form

or

your

jury

service

confirmation

letter

some

identification

such

as

your

passport

photo

driving

licence

or

Home

Office

documents

showing

your

UK

immigration

status

If

you

do

not

have

identification

you

can

bring

any

documents

from

the

following

your

birth

certificate

your

credit

card

with

statements

and

proof

of

signature

your

cheque

book

and

bank

card

with

statements

and

proof

of

signature

utility

bills

showing

your

name

and

address

Laptops

tablets

and

mobile

phones

You

can

bring

your

mobile

phone

tablet

or

laptop

into

the

court

building

and

use

it

in

the

jury

assembly

area

You

can

not

take

your

phone

laptop

or

tablet

into

the

deliberation

room

All

courts

have

lockers

or

somewhere

you

can

safely

store

your

personal

items

There

is

free

wifi

in

most

courts

What

to

wear

There

is

no

strict

dress

code

and

you

can

wear

clothes

you

’re

comfortable

in

such

as

jeans

and

a

t

shirt

Very

casual

clothing

such

as

shorts

or

clothing

with

inappropriate

logos

or

slogans

are

not

allowed

What

will

happen

when

you

arrive

at

court

Allow

extra

time

to

go

through

security

at

court

Court

staff

will

show

you

where

the

jury

assembly

area

is

and

the

jury

manager

will

tell

you

about

jury

service

explain

your

responsibilities

tell

you

what

expenses

you

can

claim

and

how

to

claim

them

There

are

extra

security

and

hygiene

measures

in

place

because

of

coronavirus

If

you

have

a

disability

Check

what

facilities

are

available

in

the

court

you

’re

going

to

Contact

the

Jury

Central

Summoning

Bureau

if

you

have

questions

about

the

facilities

or

to

arrange

a

visit

to

the

court

Discussing

the

trial

Do

not

discuss

the

trial

with

anyone

until

it

’s

finished

except

with

other

jury

members

in

the

deliberation

room

After

the

trial

you

must

not

talk

about

what

happened

in

the

deliberation

room

even

with

family

members

You

can

talk

about

what

happened

in

the

courtroom

Do

not

post

comments

about

the

trial

on

social

media

websites

like

Facebook

or

Twitter

even

after

the

trial

’s

finished

This

is

contempt

of

court

and

you

can

be

fined

or

sent

to

prison

If

anyone

approaches

you

about

the

trial

Tell

a

court

officer

if

you

’re

approached

about

the

trial

If

you

’re

approached

outside

court

tell

a

police

officer

If

you

find

the

trial

distressing

You

may

be

upset

by

the

trial

and

want

to

speak

to

someone

privately

Speak

to

court

staff

they

’ll

give

you

advice

For

emotional

support

speak

to

your

GP

to

find

out

what

support

is

available

You

can

also

contact

the

Samaritans

although

they

can

not

give

advice

How

to

claim

expenses

Make

your

claim

for

expenses

at

the

end

of

your

jury

service

and

no

more

than

months

after

your

jury

service

started

You

’ll

usually

be

paid

to

working

days

after

submitting

your

claim

form

The

court

may

be

able

to

pay

your

expenses

during

the

trial

if

it

’s

likely

to

last

a

long

time

or

if

you

’re

facing

financial

hardship

Ask

jury

staff

for

more

information

Food

drink

and

travel

expenses

Fill

in

the

claim

form

you

received

at

the

start

of

jury

service

Return

it

to

the

court

with

the

relevant

receipts

Loss

of

earnings

What

you

need

to

do

depends

on

whether

you

are

employed

or

self

employed

If

you

’re

an

employee

Your

employer

needs

to

fill

in

a

loss

of

earnings

form

if

they

’ve

told

you

they

are

not

going

to

pay

you

during

jury

service

Bring

it

to

court

on

your

first

day

of

jury

service

If

you

’re

self

employed

Fill

in

a

self

employed

loss

of

earnings

form

You

’ll

need

to

include

evidence

of

lost

earnings

such

as

your

most

recent

tax

return

Care

and

childcare

expenses

You

and

the

carer

need

to

fill

in

the

care

expenses

form

to

claim

for

costs

outside

of

your

usual

care

arrangements

If

you

’re

using

a

registered

childminder

they

need

to

write

their

Ofsted

number

on

the

form

If

a

family

member

or

friend

is

looking

after

your

children

they

must

write

a

letter

saying

how

many

hours

they

’ve

cared

for

your

child

Bring

your

child

’s

birth

certificate

or

passport

to

court

during

your

service

or

attach

a

copy

to

the

claim

form

Return

the

form

to

the

court

with

evidence

of

the

cost

of

care

for

example

invoices

or

receipts

Questions

about

expenses

Contact

the

court

where

you

did

jury

service

if

you

have

questions

about

expenses


Who

can

make

a

victim

personal

statement

and

when

The

Parole

Board

decides

if

prisoners

who

are

eligible

for

parole

can

be

released

It

also

makes

recommendations

on

whether

it

’s

safe

for

prisoners

to

be

transferred

to

an

open

prison

given

a

temporary

release

under

supervision

known

as

being

on

licence

or

probation

Victims

You

can

make

a

victim

personal

statement

to

be

presented

at

the

Parole

Board

hearing

if

you

’re

a

victim

of

the

prisoner

This

is

sometimes

known

as

an

impact

statement

If

you

’re

in

Scotland

you

need

to

make

a

written

representation

to

the

Parole

Board

for

Scotland

You

can

use

your

statement

to

explain

how

the

crime

has

affected

you

from

the

time

it

was

committed

until

now

This

includes

the

effect

the

crime

has

had

on

you

and

your

family

physically

mentally

emotionally

financially

Relatives

of

victims

You

can

make

a

victim

personal

statement

if

you

’re

a

close

relative

of

a

victim

who

has

died

is

aged

under

can

not

make

a

statement

themselves

for

example

because

of

mental

incapacity

or

illness

Close

relatives

include

spouses

and

partners

parents

children

grandparents

grandchildren

siblings

and

dependants

Other

family

members

guardians

and

carers

of

victims

may

also

be

allowed

to

make

a

statement

When

more

than

one

relative

wants

to

make

a

statement

the

Parole

Board

may

ask

for

or

statements

to

represent

them

all

When

to

make

your

victim

personal

statement

If

you

choose

to

join

the

Victim

Contact

Scheme

your

Victim

Liaison

Officer

will

tell

you

when

a

prisoner

is

being

considered

for

parole

They

’ll

tell

you

when

to

write

your

victim

personal

statement

They

’ll

also

send

it

to

the

Parole

Board

for

you

at

least

days

before

the

hearing

If

you

did

not

join

the

Victim

Contact

Scheme

you

can

contact

your

local

probation

office

about

giving

a

statement

joining

the

scheme

if

you

want

to

be

told

when

a

prisoner

is

being

considered

for

release

or

transfer

The

Parole

Board

has

more

information

about

making

a

victim

personal

statement

and

joining

the

Victim

Contact

Scheme

How

a

victim

personal

statement

is

used

The

Parole

Board

panel

makes

a

decision

based

on

whether

a

prisoner

is

a

risk

to

the

public

The

panel

can

use

your

victim

personal

statement

to

help

it

understand

the

impact

of

the

crime

decide

what

questions

to

ask

the

prisoner

to

find

out

about

their

understanding

of

how

their

crimes

have

affected

victims

decide

what

the

prisoner

can

and

can

not

do

known

as

licence

conditions

if

they

’re

released

The

Parole

Board

will

make

its

decision

by

privately

reviewing

a

file

of

information

and

reports

about

the

prisoner

holding

a

hearing

if

the

board

needs

more

information

You

can

ask

to

attend

the

hearing

to

read

out

your

statement

if

you

want

or

have

it

read

out

for

you

The

Parole

Board

decides

if

you

can

attend

Write

your

victim

personal

statement

Your

victim

personal

statement

is

your

opportunity

to

explain

how

a

crime

has

affected

you

and

your

family

for

example

physically

emotionally

financially

or

in

any

other

way

You

can

update

the

statement

that

you

wrote

for

the

prisoner

’s

trial

or

write

a

new

one

Your

statement

should

take

less

than

minutes

to

read

out

You

can

usually

choose

how

your

statement

is

presented

at

an

oral

hearing

You

must

always

submit

a

written

version

of

your

statement

What

to

include

You

need

to

include

how

the

crime

affected

you

at

the

time

crime

has

affected

you

since

it

happened

prisoner

’s

release

or

move

to

an

open

prison

would

affect

you

your

family

friends

or

community

Do

not

include

whether

you

think

the

prisoner

should

be

released

long

descriptions

of

the

original

crime

any

threats

or

critical

comments

to

or

about

the

prisoner

or

the

Parole

Board

Tell

your

Victim

Liaison

Officer

if

you

think

you

have

other

information

that

will

help

the

Parole

Board

make

a

decision

Young

victims

and

children

If

you

do

not

want

to

or

can

not

make

a

written

victim

personal

statement

you

can

tell

your

Victim

Liaison

Officer

about

how

you

and

your

family

were

hurt

the

crime

makes

you

feel

now

you

think

you

would

feel

if

the

prisoner

was

released

Your

Victim

Liaison

Officer

will

write

this

down

and

give

it

to

the

Parole

Board

Your

parent

or

guardian

can

also

make

a

statement

if

they

want

to

The

prisoner

’s

access

to

your

victim

personal

statement

Prisoners

usually

have

full

access

to

all

victim

personal

statements

presented

at

their

hearing

Speak

to

your

Victim

Liaison

Officer

if

you

do

not

want

the

prisoner

to

have

access

to

your

statement

You

’ll

need

to

make

a

good

case

that

it

will

put

you

or

your

family

at

risk

have

a

negative

effect

on

you

in

some

other

way

Statements

are

only

withheld

from

prisoners

under

exceptional

circumstances

Choose

how

your

victim

personal

statement

is

presented

at

the

hearing

You

’ll

usually

have

a

choice

of

how

your

victim

personal

statement

is

presented

at

the

hearing

You

can

ask

for

the

Parole

Board

panel

to

read

your

statement

themselves

to

attend

the

hearing

and

read

out

your

statement

in

person

to

attend

the

hearing

and

choose

someone

else

to

read

out

your

statement

to

choose

someone

to

go

the

hearing

instead

of

you

and

read

out

your

statement

Because

of

coronavirus

you

can

not

currently

attend

hearings

in

person

You

will

have

to

submit

your

statement

remotely

At

some

hearings

you

may

be

able

to

read

out

your

statement

via

a

live

video

link

or

make

a

recording

for

the

panel

Requests

by

victims

to

attend

hearings

are

usually

granted

but

it

’s

not

a

legal

right

and

you

can

be

refused

You

can

usually

bring

your

Victim

Liaison

Officer

or

a

family

member

or

friend

if

you

come

to

the

hearing

People

under

years

of

age

usually

can

not

attend

parole

hearings

in

person

and

must

choose

one

of

the

other

options

such

as

getting

someone

else

to

read

out

your

statement

What

happens

at

a

parole

hearing

You

’ll

be

asked

to

read

out

your

victim

personal

statement

unless

someone

else

is

reading

it

for

you

You

will

not

be

able

to

add

anything

to

your

written

statement

at

the

hearing

and

will

not

usually

be

asked

questions

After

you

’ve

made

your

statement

you

’ll

be

asked

to

leave

and

the

hearing

will

continue

Your

Victim

Liaison

Officer

will

tell

you

the

outcome

Read

the

guide

on

getting

parole

for

detailed

information

on

what

happens

at

a

parole

hearing

Prisoners

at

parole

hearings

Prisoners

are

usually

not

present

while

their

victims

read

their

statements

The

prisoner

’s

legal

representative

is

usually

there

You

can

ask

that

the

prisoner

is

present

while

you

read

your

statement

but

they

’ll

need

to

agree

to

this

and

the

Parole

Board

has

to

allow

it


Concurrent

and

consecutive

sentences

If

someone

’s

convicted

of

committing

more

than

one

crime

they

’re

usually

given

a

sentence

for

each

crime

Concurrent

sentences

are

served

at

the

same

time

Consecutive

sentences

are

served

one

after

the

other

for

example

a

month

sentence

followed

by

a

month

sentence

The

judge

or

magistrate

tells

the

person

what

type

of

sentence

they

get

and

how

it

must

be

served

Suspended

prison

sentences

A

suspended

prison

sentence

is

carried

out

in

the

community

The

person

has

to

meet

certain

conditions

for

example

having

to

stay

away

from

a

certain

place

or

person

doing

unpaid

work

called

Community

Payback

If

the

person

breaks

the

conditions

of

their

sentence

they

can

be

sent

to

prison

Determinate

prison

sentences

fixed

length

of

time

A

determinate

prison

sentence

is

for

a

fixed

length

of

time

If

the

sentence

is

for

months

or

more

For

prison

sentences

of

months

or

more

the

person

spends

the

first

half

of

the

sentence

in

prison

and

the

second

half

in

the

community

on

licence

If

they

break

any

licence

conditions

for

example

they

commit

another

crime

they

could

go

back

to

prison

If

the

sentence

is

under

months

For

prison

sentences

under

months

the

person

’s

normally

released

automatically

halfway

through

Indeterminate

prison

sentences

no

fixed

length

of

time

An

indeterminate

prison

sentence

does

not

have

a

fixed

length

of

time

This

means

no

date

is

set

when

the

person

will

be

released

they

have

to

spend

a

minimum

amount

of

time

in

prison

called

a

tariff

before

they

’re

considered

for

release

The

Parole

Board

is

responsible

for

deciding

if

someone

can

be

released

from

prison

Indeterminate

sentences

are

given

if

a

court

thinks

an

offender

is

a

danger

to

the

public

Life

sentences

If

a

person

’s

found

guilty

of

murder

a

court

must

give

them

a

life

sentence

A

court

may

choose

to

give

a

life

sentence

for

serious

offences

like

rape

armed

robbery

A

life

sentence

lasts

for

the

rest

of

a

person

’s

life

if

they

’re

released

from

prison

and

commit

another

crime

they

can

be

sent

back

to

prison

at

any

time

Whole

life

term

A

whole

life

term

means

there

’s

no

minimum

term

set

by

the

judge

and

the

person

’s

never

considered

for

release

Sentences

for

young

people

People

under

get

different

sentences

to

adults

Detention

and

Training

Order

A

Detention

and

Training

Order

can

be

given

to

someone

aged

between

and

They

last

between

months

and

years

The

first

half

of

a

Detention

and

Training

Order

is

served

in

custody

the

second

half

is

served

in

the

community

Violent

or

sexual

crimes

For

severe

crimes

usually

violent

or

sexual

young

people

can

get

an

extended

sentence

They

could

spend

a

long

time

in

custody

and

when

released

they

’ll

be

put

under

supervision

for

a

long

time

for

example

being

tagged

Murder

For

murder

the

court

sets

the

minimum

amount

of

time

to

be

spent

in

custody

The

young

person

ca

n’t

apply

for

parole

before

this

time

When

released

the

young

person

will

be

kept

under

supervision

for

the

rest

of

their

life

Other

serious

crimes

Sometimes

the

sentence

for

a

young

person

can

last

as

long

as

the

sentence

for

an

adult

for

the

same

offence

but

not

longer

This

includes

life

sentences


Overview

Probation

means

you

’re

serving

your

sentence

but

you

’re

not

in

prison

You

could

be

put

on

probation

because

you

’re

serving

a

community

sentence

you

have

been

released

from

prison

on

licence

or

on

parole

While

on

probation

you

may

have

to

do

unpaid

work

complete

an

education

or

training

course

get

treatment

for

addictions

like

drugs

or

alcohol

have

regular

meetings

with

an

offender

manager

Meetings

with

your

offender

manager

When

you

’re

on

probation

you

may

have

meetings

with

your

offender

manager

This

will

usually

happen

at

your

local

probation

office

At

your

first

meeting

your

offender

manager

will

explain

the

rules

of

your

probation

the

dates

times

and

places

of

future

meetings

any

appointments

you

must

go

to

for

example

training

courses

or

treatment

what

happens

if

you

do

not

do

what

you

are

asked

Your

offender

manager

will

ask

you

to

read

and

agree

to

a

sentence

plan

This

will

tell

you

the

rules

you

have

to

stick

to

during

your

probation

and

what

your

responsibilities

are

What

you

must

tell

your

offender

manager

You

must

tell

your

offender

manager

if

you

plan

to

change

your

name

or

address

you

will

not

be

able

to

make

any

meetings

you

have

arranged

with

them

you

’re

having

problems

sticking

to

the

rules

of

your

probation

If

you

miss

a

scheduled

meeting

with

your

offender

manager

you

should

get

in

touch

and

tell

them

why

You

may

need

to

provide

proof

like

a

letter

from

a

doctor

or

your

employer

You

are

allowed

to

miss

meetings

or

appointments

to

attend

religious

or

other

important

events

if

you

give

your

offender

manager

advance

notice

If

you

break

the

rules

of

your

probation

You

could

go

back

to

court

if

you

break

any

rules

of

your

probation

For

example

if

you

do

something

your

sentence

bans

you

from

doing

commit

another

crime

miss

meetings

and

appointments

without

a

good

reason

behave

in

an

aggressive

racist

or

other

unacceptable

way

at

a

meeting

or

appointment

You

can

also

be

taken

back

to

prison

if

you

break

the

conditions

of

your

licence

or

parole

Being

taken

back

to

prison

You

can

be

taken

straight

back

to

prison

if

you

have

been

released

on

licence

or

parole

and

you

break

the

rules

of

your

probation

This

is

known

as

a

recall

Your

offender

manager

will

tell

you

why

you

’ve

been

recalled

There

are

three

types

of

recalls

Fixed

term

recalls

You

’ll

be

sent

back

to

prison

for

either

days

if

your

original

sentence

was

less

than

months

days

if

your

original

sentence

was

months

or

more

When

you

’re

released

you

’ll

be

back

on

probation

and

licence

until

the

end

of

your

sentence

Standard

recalls

You

’ll

go

back

to

prison

until

the

end

of

your

sentence

unless

a

parole

board

or

the

Secretary

of

State

for

Justice

decide

to

release

you

Your

case

will

be

sent

to

a

parole

board

automatically

after

days

They

will

either

release

you

straight

away

or

set

a

date

within

year

when

you

can

be

released

on

licence

Your

offender

manager

can

also

review

your

case

at

any

time

and

recommend

to

the

Secretary

of

State

that

you

should

be

released

Indeterminate

sentence

recalls

Your

case

will

be

sent

to

a

parole

board

either

days

after

you

go

back

to

prison

within

months

of

your

last

parole

board

review

The

parole

board

will

do

one

of

the

following

release

you

on

licence

immediately

set

a

date

when

you

’ll

be

released

on

licence

keep

you

in

prison

ask

you

to

attend

a

hearing

delay

making

a

decision

about

your

sentence

until

they

have

more

information

Ask

to

be

released

again

on

probation

If

you

have

been

taken

back

to

prison

and

think

you

should

be

released

on

probation

again

ask

the

prison

in

writing

This

is

called

making

representations

You

can

also

ask

a

family

member

friend

or

legal

adviser

to

write

to

the

prison

for

you

You

must

do

this

within

weeks

of

being

told

why

you

are

being

recalled

to

prison


Overview

You

can

appeal

to

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Criminal

Injuries

Compensation

if

you

disagree

with

a

decision

by

the

Criminal

Injuries

Compensation

Authority

CICA

on

your

claim

for

compensation

You

may

want

to

appeal

if

you

’re

refused

compensation

or

unhappy

with

the

amount

The

tribunal

can

uphold

CICA

’s

decision

increase

or

reduce

your

award

decide

you

should

not

get

anything

ask

CICA

to

make

the

decision

again

You

have

days

to

appeal

to

the

tribunal

from

the

date

of

CICA

’s

review

decision

Explain

why

you

’re

late

if

you

miss

the

deadline

for

example

if

you

’re

waiting

for

medical

reports

The

tribunal

is

independent

of

government

and

will

listen

to

both

sides

of

the

argument

before

making

a

decision

Help

you

can

get

You

can

contact

Victim

and

Witness

Information

to

find

local

help

and

support

You

can

represent

yourself

at

the

tribunal

To

get

help

and

advice

before

you

appeal

you

can

find

a

solicitor

Appeal

to

the

tribunal

Download

and

fill

in

the

appeal

form

giving

reasons

why

you

disagree

with

the

the

Criminal

Injuries

Compensation

Authority

’s

CICA

’s

decision

You

must

also

provide

the

decision

letter

from

CICA

documents

supporting

your

case

for

example

medical

records

or

evidence

of

loss

of

earnings

Send

the

form

decision

letter

and

documents

to

the

address

on

the

form

Call

or

email

the

tribunal

helpline

if

you

have

any

questions

about

completing

the

form

The

tribunal

can

not

give

you

legal

advice

What

happens

next

The

tribunal

will

send

a

copy

of

your

appeal

form

to

the

Criminal

Injuries

Compensation

Authority

CICA

CICA

will

usually

respond

to

you

and

the

tribunal

within

weeks

You

’ll

have

one

month

to

get

back

to

the

tribunal

with

any

extra

information

or

arguments

How

your

appeal

will

be

decided

The

tribunal

will

write

to

tell

you

if

your

appeal

will

be

decided

using

either

the

paperwork

in

the

case

a

hearing

You

can

ask

the

tribunal

for

a

hearing

if

you

’re

unhappy

with

not

being

given

one

The

tribunal

judge

’s

decision

will

be

sent

to

you

by

post

if

your

appeal

is

decided

using

paperwork

You

’ll

be

given

at

least

days

notice

of

any

hearing

Hearings

The

hearing

will

usually

be

held

in

the

area

covered

by

the

police

force

which

investigated

the

crime

The

hearing

will

be

attended

by

or

tribunal

judges

or

members

a

clerk

a

representative

from

CICA

any

witnesses

A

police

officer

who

knows

about

your

case

may

also

attend

if

they

can

help

the

tribunal

Offenders

do

not

usually

attend

tribunal

hearings

What

happens

at

a

hearing

You

’ll

be

asked

questions

about

the

crime

and

your

injuries

You

’ll

present

your

case

to

the

judge

someone

else

can

do

this

for

you

for

example

a

lawyer

friend

or

family

member

Witnesses

will

come

into

the

hearing

room

to

give

evidence

they

’ll

leave

after

they

’ve

done

that

You

or

your

representative

can

ask

questions

during

the

hearing

and

can

make

points

at

the

end

You

’ll

usually

get

the

tribunal

’s

decision

on

the

day

of

the

hearing

Expenses

for

going

to

the

hearing

The

tribunal

will

send

you

information

on

how

to

claim

expenses

for

going

to

the

hearing

such

as

travel

costs

If

you

lose

your

appeal

There

’s

no

right

of

appeal

but

you

may

be

able

to

ask

for

a

judicial

review

of

the

decision

if

you

think

the

decision

was

wrong

for

a

legal

reason

This

means

they

may

hear

the

case

again

Contact

a

solicitor

for

legal

advice

if

you

’re

unsure

Before

you

apply

Before

applying

for

a

judicial

review

write

to

the

tribunal

saying

why

you

think

the

decision

was

wrong

ask

for

written

reasons

for

its

decision

You

must

do

this

within

month

of

the

date

of

the

decision

How

to

apply

England

and

Wales

You

must

get

permission

from

the

Upper

Tribunal

Administrative

Appeals

Chamber

if

you

live

in

England

or

Wales

Fill

in

the

judicial

review

claim

form

and

return

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

Find

out

more

about

appealing

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

How

to

apply

Scotland

You

must

get

permission

from

the

Court

of

Session

if

you

live

in

Scotland

by

using

the

application

for

leave

to

appeal

form

Send

the

form

to

Legislation

and

previous

decisions

Read

the

rules

the

tribunal

must

follow

and

its

decisions

on

previous

cases

Previous

decisions

Search

the

decisions

database

to

see

how

and

why

previous

decisions

have

been

made

The

tribunal

will

make

a

decision

based

on

the

Criminal

Injuries

Compensation

Scheme

Legislation

The

tribunal

must

follow

the

rules

in

the

Tribunal

Procedure

First

tier

Tribunal

Social

Entitlement

Chamber

Rules

Read

the

Practice

Directions

and

Statements

for

more

information


Overview

People

under

who

are

sentenced

to

custody

are

sent

to

secure

centres

for

young

people

not

to

adult

prisons

Why

young

people

are

sent

to

custody

A

court

can

give

a

young

person

a

custodial

sentence

if

the

crime

is

so

serious

there

is

no

other

suitable

option

the

young

person

has

committed

crimes

before

the

judge

or

magistrate

thinks

the

young

person

is

a

risk

to

the

public

A

young

person

can

also

be

sent

to

custody

on

remand

The

Youth

Justice

Board

decides

which

secure

centre

a

young

person

will

be

sent

to

They

will

choose

somewhere

that

can

deal

with

the

young

person

’s

needs

safely

eg

if

they

have

a

health

problem

is

suitable

for

their

age

sex

and

background

is

as

near

to

their

home

as

possible

Arriving

at

custody

The

young

person

is

interviewed

by

the

reception

officer

as

soon

as

they

arrive

The

reception

officer

uses

this

interview

to

make

sure

the

young

person

is

properly

looked

after

eg

if

they

need

any

health

care

Search

The

young

person

will

have

some

of

their

belongings

taken

away

like

their

money

and

phone

They

will

also

be

searched

to

make

sure

they

do

n’t

have

things

like

drugs

on

them

Personal

officer

Within

the

first

few

days

the

young

person

will

meet

their

personal

officer

This

person

is

in

charge

of

the

young

person

’s

well

being

for

as

long

as

they

’re

in

the

secure

centre

Find

out

more

about

the

support

that

’s

available

for

a

young

person

in

custody

What

custody

is

like

for

young

people

Time

in

custody

is

spent

in

lessons

learning

skills

to

get

a

job

or

to

return

to

education

taking

part

in

programmes

to

improve

behaviour

participating

in

sport

fitness

and

other

activities

There

are

strict

rules

about

what

young

people

can

and

ca

n’t

do

and

they

may

have

to

go

through

alcohol

or

drug

counselling

Types

of

secure

centre

There

are

types

of

custody

for

young

people

young

offender

institutions

secure

training

centres

secure

children

’s

homes

Young

offender

institutions

are

run

by

the

Prison

Service

and

private

companies

are

for

people

aged

to

people

under

are

held

in

different

buildings

house

between

to

people

split

into

wings

of

to

people

Secure

training

centres

are

run

by

private

companies

are

for

people

aged

up

to

house

between

and

split

into

units

of

to

people

give

hours

of

education

and

training

a

week

following

a

school

day

timetable

Secure

children

’s

homes

run

by

local

councils

are

for

people

aged

to

house

between

and

people

give

hours

of

education

and

training

a

week

following

a

school

day

timetable

Visiting

young

people

in

custody

You

must

arrange

your

visit

first

Contact

the

secure

centre

to

find

out

what

you

need

to

do

Who

can

visit

Family

members

and

friends

can

ask

to

visit

If

you

’re

under

you

have

to

be

accompanied

by

an

adult

People

whose

job

it

is

to

support

the

young

person

like

a

social

worker

or

legal

adviser

can

visit

them

at

any

time

When

you

can

visit

Each

centre

will

have

specific

times

for

visiting

They

will

tell

you

when

these

are

and

you

wo

n’t

be

allowed

to

visit

outside

of

these

times

How

often

you

can

visit

Usually

you

can

visit

a

young

person

once

a

week

if

you

are

a

family

member

or

friend

but

this

can

vary

How

many

people

can

visit

Generally

people

are

allowed

at

one

time

If

you

want

to

bring

more

people

you

will

need

to

get

permission

first

Getting

help

with

travel

costs

Family

members

can

sometimes

get

help

with

the

costs

of

visiting

such

as

train

tickets

or

petrol

There

are

different

rules

for

claiming

money

back

depending

on

where

you

visit

Travel

claims

for

visiting

a

young

offender

institution

YOI

You

should

contact

the

Prison

Service

to

claim

for

a

visit

to

a

YOI

Travel

claims

for

visiting

a

secure

children

’s

home

You

should

contact

the

young

person

’s

youth

offending

team

to

claim

for

a

visit

to

a

secure

children

’s

home

The

document

Assisted

visits

scheme

information

for

relatives

will

give

you

information

on

this

You

need

to

complete

form

Travel

claims

for

visiting

a

secure

training

centre

STC

Call

the

STC

you

’re

visiting

on

one

of

the

following

numbers

Ask

for

the

STC

monitor

they

’ll

tell

you

how

to

make

a

claim

and

what

it

covers

Oakhill

Rainsbrook

Medway

Find

out

about

call

charges

You

may

get

help

claiming

the

cost

of

a

train

journey

before

you

travel

You

can

also

claim

back

the

cost

of

your

travel

after

your

visit

You

could

get

help

with

registered

childminder

costs

if

you

have

young

children

If

the

young

person

is

on

remand

Contact

the

young

person

’s

youth

offending

team

who

can

organise

a

visit

You

ca

n’t

get

help

with

your

travel

costs

if

the

young

person

you

’re

visiting

is

on

remand

Advice

and

support

For

advice

or

support

a

young

person

can

speak

to

a

member

of

staff

for

example

their

personal

officer

a

chaplain

social

worker

or

teacher

a

doctor

nurse

or

other

health

worker

The

personal

officer

is

the

person

in

charge

of

the

young

person

’s

well

being

Chaplains

provide

support

to

everyone

whatever

their

faith

A

young

person

can

ask

to

speak

to

a

chaplain

of

their

own

faith

if

they

want

Support

from

the

youth

offending

team

Someone

from

the

local

youth

offending

team

will

stay

in

contact

with

the

young

person

while

they

’re

in

custody

The

young

person

can

get

in

touch

with

them

whenever

they

need

Friends

and

family

A

young

person

will

be

able

to

contact

their

family

regularly

and

can

arrange

for

them

to

visit

Advocacy

services

Young

people

can

also

speak

to

someone

from

an

advocacy

service

Advocacy

services

Advocacy

services

are

run

by

children

’s

charities

and

are

confidential

A

young

person

in

custody

can

ask

an

advocacy

service

for

help

if

they

feel

they

ca

n’t

speak

for

themselves

do

n’t

understand

something

ca

n’t

make

themselves

understood

How

to

get

in

touch

People

from

an

advocacy

service

regularly

visit

secure

centres

so

young

people

can

meet

them

Young

people

can

also

telephone

them

Barnardo

’s

Telephone

Find

out

about

call

charges

This

number

is

for

young

people

in

young

offender

institutions

YOIs

or

secure

training

centres

STCs

The

phone

number

is

different

for

young

people

in

a

secure

children

’s

home

they

need

to

ask

a

member

of

staff

for

the

number

Other

people

to

call

Young

people

and

their

families

can

also

contact

other

organisations

for

help

Organisations

that

can

help

The

Howard

League

might

be

able

to

offer

legal

advice

and

help

to

people

under

in

custody

The

Prison

Reform

Trust

and

Nacro

offer

advice

and

support

to

young

people

and

their

families

but

ca

n’t

give

legal

advice

Find

out

about

call

charges


The

Data

Protection

Act

The

Data

Protection

Act

controls

how

your

personal

information

is

used

by

organisations

businesses

or

the

government

The

Data

Protection

Act

is

the

UK

’s

implementation

of

the

General

Data

Protection

Regulation

GDPR

Everyone

responsible

for

using

personal

data

has

to

follow

strict

rules

called

data

protection

principles

They

must

make

sure

the

information

is

used

fairly

lawfully

and

transparently

used

for

specified

explicit

purposes

used

in

a

way

that

is

adequate

relevant

and

limited

to

only

what

is

necessary

accurate

and

where

necessary

kept

up

to

date

kept

for

no

longer

than

is

necessary

handled

in

a

way

that

ensures

appropriate

security

including

protection

against

unlawful

or

unauthorised

processing

access

loss

destruction

or

damage

There

is

stronger

legal

protection

for

more

sensitive

information

such

as

race

ethnic

background

political

opinions

religious

beliefs

trade

union

membership

genetics

biometrics

where

used

for

identification

health

sex

life

or

orientation

There

are

separate

safeguards

for

personal

data

relating

to

criminal

convictions

and

offences

Your

rights

Under

the

Data

Protection

Act

you

have

the

right

to

find

out

what

information

the

government

and

other

organisations

store

about

you

These

include

the

right

to

be

informed

about

how

your

data

is

being

used

access

personal

data

have

incorrect

data

updated

have

data

erased

stop

or

restrict

the

processing

of

your

data

data

portability

allowing

you

to

get

and

reuse

your

data

for

different

services

object

to

how

your

data

is

processed

in

certain

circumstances

You

also

have

rights

when

an

organisation

is

using

your

personal

data

for

automated

decision

making

processes

without

human

involvement

profiling

for

example

to

predict

your

behaviour

or

interests

Find

out

what

data

an

organisation

has

about

you

Write

to

an

organisation

to

ask

for

a

copy

of

the

information

they

hold

about

you

If

it

’s

a

public

organisation

write

to

their

Data

Protection

Officer

DPO

Their

details

should

be

on

the

organisation

’s

privacy

notice

If

the

organisation

has

no

DPO

or

you

do

not

know

who

to

write

to

address

your

letter

to

the

company

secretary

How

long

it

should

take

The

organisation

must

give

you

a

copy

of

the

data

they

hold

about

you

as

soon

as

possible

and

within

month

at

most

In

certain

circumstances

for

example

particularly

complex

or

multiple

requests

the

organisation

can

take

a

further

months

to

provide

data

In

this

case

they

must

tell

you

within

month

of

your

request

why

there

’s

a

delay

When

information

can

be

withheld

There

are

some

situations

when

organisations

are

allowed

to

withhold

information

for

example

if

the

information

is

about

the

prevention

detection

or

investigation

of

a

crime

national

security

or

the

armed

forces

the

assessment

or

collection

of

tax

judicial

or

ministerial

appointments

An

organisation

does

not

have

to

say

why

they

’re

withholding

information

How

much

it

costs

Requests

for

information

are

usually

free

However

organisations

can

charge

an

administrative

cost

in

some

circumstances

for

example

if

you

’re

asking

for

a

large

amount

of

information

your

request

will

take

a

lot

of

time

and

effort

to

process

Make

a

complaint

If

you

think

your

data

has

been

misused

or

that

the

organisation

holding

it

has

not

kept

it

secure

you

should

contact

them

and

tell

them

If

you

’re

unhappy

with

their

response

or

if

you

need

any

advice

you

should

contact

the

Information

Commissioner

’s

Office

ICO

You

can

also

chat

online

with

an

advisor

The

ICO

can

investigate

your

claim

and

take

action

against

anyone

who

’s

misused

personal

data

You

can

also

visit

their

website

for

information

on

how

to

make

a

data

protection

complaint


Overview

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

is

being

replaced

by

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

for

disabled

people

You

can

only

apply

for

DLA

if

you

’re

under

You

can

apply

for

PIP

if

you

’re

aged

or

over

and

have

not

reached

State

Pension

age

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

’re

State

Pension

age

or

older

and

do

not

get

DLA

If

you

already

get

DLA

your

claim

might

end

You

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

when

this

will

happen

and

how

you

can

apply

for

PIP

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

If

you

already

get

DLA

If

you

were

born

on

or

before

April

you

’ll

continue

to

get

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

as

long

as

you

’re

eligible

for

it

If

you

were

born

after

April

your

DLA

will

end

You

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

when

that

will

happen

You

’ll

continue

to

get

DLA

until

that

date

Unless

your

circumstances

change

you

do

not

need

to

do

anything

until

you

get

this

letter

If

your

DLA

claim

is

ending

If

your

DLA

is

ending

you

’ll

get

a

letter

inviting

you

to

apply

for

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

If

you

do

apply

you

’ll

need

to

do

it

within

days

DLA

will

continue

to

be

paid

until

at

least

days

after

a

decision

is

made

about

your

PIP

application

If

you

’re

eligible

for

PIP

you

’ll

start

getting

PIP

payments

as

soon

as

your

DLA

payments

end

Change

of

circumstances

You

must

contact

the

Disability

Service

Centre

if

your

circumstances

change

as

this

may

affect

how

much

DLA

you

get

For

example

the

level

of

help

you

need

or

your

condition

changes

you

go

into

hospital

or

a

care

home

for

more

than

weeks

you

go

abroad

for

more

than

weeks

you

’re

imprisoned

or

held

in

detention

You

must

also

contact

the

centre

if

you

change

your

name

address

or

bank

details

you

want

to

stop

receiving

your

benefit

your

doctor

’s

details

change

You

may

be

asked

to

claim

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

after

you

report

a

change

to

your

circumstances

You

could

be

taken

to

court

or

have

to

pay

a

penalty

if

you

give

wrong

information

or

do

not

report

a

change

in

your

circumstances

If

you

’ve

been

paid

too

much

You

may

have

to

repay

the

money

if

you

did

not

report

a

change

straight

away

gave

wrong

information

were

overpaid

by

mistake

Find

out

how

to

repay

the

money

you

owe

from

benefit

overpayment

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

DLA

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

DLA

rates

You

can

no

longer

apply

for

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

if

you

’re

or

over

You

might

be

able

to

apply

for

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

instead

DLA

is

made

up

of

components

parts

the

care

component

and

the

mobility

component

To

get

DLA

you

must

be

eligible

for

at

least

one

of

the

components

How

much

DLA

you

get

depends

on

how

your

disability

or

health

condition

affects

you

If

you

need

help

looking

after

yourself

You

might

get

the

care

component

of

DLA

if

you

need

help

with

things

like

washing

dressing

eating

using

the

toilet

or

communicating

your

needs

need

supervision

to

avoid

putting

yourself

or

others

in

danger

need

someone

with

you

when

you

’re

on

dialysis

can

not

prepare

a

cooked

main

meal

You

can

get

this

part

if

no

one

is

actually

giving

you

the

care

you

need

or

you

live

alone

Care

component

Weekly

rate

Level

of

help

you

need

Lowest

Help

for

some

of

the

day

or

with

preparing

cooked

meals

Middle

Frequent

help

or

constant

supervision

during

the

day

supervision

at

night

or

someone

to

help

you

while

on

dialysis

Highest

Help

or

supervision

throughout

both

day

and

night

or

you

’re

terminally

ill

If

you

get

DLA

and

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

the

care

component

of

your

DLA

will

be

reduced

by

the

amount

of

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

you

get

If

you

have

walking

difficulties

You

might

get

the

mobility

component

of

DLA

if

when

using

your

normal

aid

you

can

not

walk

can

only

walk

a

short

distance

without

severe

discomfort

could

become

very

ill

if

you

try

to

walk

You

might

also

get

it

if

you

have

no

feet

or

legs

are

assessed

as

blind

and

at

least

deaf

and

you

need

someone

with

you

when

outdoors

are

severely

mentally

impaired

with

severe

behavioural

problems

and

get

the

highest

rate

of

care

for

DLA

need

supervision

most

of

the

time

when

walking

outdoors

are

certified

as

severely

sight

impaired

and

you

were

aged

between

and

on

April

Mobility

component

Weekly

rate

Level

of

help

you

need

Lower

Guidance

or

supervision

outdoors

Higher

You

have

any

other

more

severe

walking

difficulty

You

must

contact

the

Disability

Service

Centre

if

your

circumstances

change

for

example

your

condition

improves

or

you

need

more

help

Assessments

You

might

get

a

letter

saying

you

need

to

attend

an

assessment

to

check

the

level

of

help

you

need

The

letter

explains

why

and

where

you

must

go

Your

benefit

may

be

stopped

if

you

do

not

go

At

the

assessment

you

’ll

be

asked

for

identification

You

can

use

a

passport

or

any

of

the

following

birth

certificate

a

full

driving

licence

life

assurance

policy

bank

statements

How

you

’re

paid

DLA

is

usually

paid

every

weeks

on

a

Wednesday

If

your

payment

date

is

on

a

bank

holiday

you

will

usually

be

paid

before

the

bank

holiday

After

that

you

’ll

continue

to

get

paid

as

normal

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Extra

help

You

could

get

extra

benefits

if

you

get

Disability

Living

Allowance

check

with

the

Disability

Service

Centre

or

the

office

dealing

with

your

benefit

If

your

disability

or

health

condition

stops

you

from

working

and

you

’re

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

you

could

get

an

extra

amount

on

top

of

your

Universal

Credit

standard

allowance

If

you

get

DLA

and

you

work

you

might

also

be

able

to

get

the

disability

element

of

Working

Tax

Credit

up

to

a

year

or

up

to

if

your

disability

is

severe

Contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

to

find

out


Job

specifications

The

job

specification

or

person

requirements

of

a

vacancy

must

not

exclude

disabled

people

from

applying

for

a

job

However

some

jobs

may

have

an

essential

requirement

that

can

not

be

met

with

a

reasonable

adjustment

If

you

reject

a

disabled

candidate

it

must

be

based

on

their

performance

at

interview

rather

than

having

to

make

reasonable

adjustments

Encouraging

applications

Your

local

Jobcentre

Plus

can

help

with

making

sure

your

application

process

is

accessible

advising

you

about

recruitment

practices

that

open

up

jobs

to

disabled

people

information

about

making

reasonable

adjustments

that

can

help

someone

start

or

keep

their

job

Contact

Jobcentre

Plus

to

find

out

more

Apply

for

the

disability

confident

scheme

Sign

up

as

a

disability

confident

committed

employer

When

you

’ve

done

this

you

can

use

the

disability

confident

badge

on

adverts

to

show

you

encourage

applications

from

disabled

people

Alternative

formats

You

must

provide

information

about

the

vacancy

in

alternative

formats

for

example

large

print

on

request

if

this

is

reasonable

You

must

also

accept

applications

in

alternative

formats

for

example

electronically

where

possible

Reasonable

adjustments

You

can

ask

if

a

candidate

needs

an

adjustment

to

the

recruitment

process

to

allow

them

to

be

considered

for

the

job

or

you

can

wait

to

be

told

You

must

make

adjustments

if

they

’re

reasonable

for

example

allowing

wheelchair

users

to

have

their

interview

on

the

ground

floor

candidates

to

complete

a

written

test

using

a

computer

After

you

’ve

made

a

job

offer

you

can

ask

what

adjustments

they

’ll

need

to

do

the

job

You

can

get

help

paying

for

extra

support

in

the

workplace

through

an

Access

to

Work

grant

but

you

can

not

use

the

money

for

reasonable

adjustments