| 释义 |
advance indication of sentence
In cases before the Crown Court, the defendant can request that the judge gives an indication of the sentence that is likely to be passed should the defendant plead guilty rather than continue with a trial. The hearing will usually take place in open court and should normally be sought at the plea and trial preparation hearing. The judge has complete discretion over whether or not to give an indication and is not obliged to give reasons should he decide not to do so. Any indication given is binding on the judge. If the defendant decides not to plead guilty, the indication ceases to have effect. Guidance on the procedure is provided in R v Goodyear [2005] EWCA Crim 888, [2005] 3 All ER 117. |