I’ve been charged. What happens now?

[jarvisryan]

Current

https://www.criminaljusticehub.org.uk/task/ive-been-charged-what-happens-now/

[jarvisryan]

CJH - page assessment and draft redesign

https://www.criminaljusticehub.org.uk/task/ive-been-charged-what-happens-now/

Audience

• Who is reading? What are their needs? Who will be the key audience and how should their needs be prioritised?

• Is the process different for young offenders, or the type of crime committed? Do people other than the accussed need a service from this page?

Content structure

• Visual prominence is given to phrasing that lacks information - 'what happens now?', and repetition of conjunctions: 'Or'.

• Page lacks a heading/subheading structure so has reduced scannability.

Language style

• Imagined conversational Q and A, role playing style header - is that a fair reflection of an assumed internal dialgoue?

• Switching from first to second person address from header to body - "I've been charged", "If you have been charged".

• Inconsistency: switching from definite to potential - an individual has either been charged or not. The header assumes the former, the body copy suggests it as a possibility.

Visual design

• The 'task' icon looks like something a user might click on. It's not clear what it's for or how it helps users achieve their goal.

• Would non-text features help? Such as a picture of a charge sheet.

Redesign

Audience

• Under 18/young offenders

• adults charged with a crime

• Legal professionals

• relatives/carers/friends

• other interested parties - researches/students

User or job stories?

As there are various potential audiences, rather than a single audience with focused goals, it may be better to express content goals through user stories.

Referencing Ricky's personas these could be expressed as:

Sabrina (17) - under 18's/young offenders

As a victim of bullying and assualt I want to understand how the police deal with the accused so that I feel more confident if the case goes to trial.

Acceptance criteria: the story is done when I can understand if the person who committed the crime can go home before a trial.

Gennaro (adult) - adults charged with a crime

As someone who has been charged with a crime, I want to review process, so I can best understand my rights.

Acceptance criteria: the story is done when I understand how long I can be held on remand.

Blessing (adult) - relative/carer/friend

As the foster carer of a child who's been charged with a crime, I want to know whether the police can hold the child on remand, so that I can organise care needs for my family.

Acceptance criteria: the story is done when I can review the options the authorities have for keeping the child I care for in custody.

Yan (adult) - other interested parties

As a law student, I want examples of best practice service design so that I can illustrate how to reduce pain points.

Acceptance criteria: the story is done when I can see the service is clearly presented and uses plain English.

(*some of these might be sketchy!)

What people search for (12 month data)

For example, 'committed a crime' rates more highly than 'charged'.

Interesting to note regional variations. 'Charged' is more frequently used in Scotland, and doesn't register in Wales.

Different terms may be used by our audiences, or be skewed by cultural factors (for example, a TV show aired in spring 2023 with 'young offenders' in the title spikes results for that term in the same period).

More specific language - such as 'bail conditions' rank far lower than the general, 'what does bail mean'.

This isn't a suggestion to keyword stuff - rankings will be best helped by clear, usable design. But it may help provide direction on phrasing that's most commonly used, so a range of phrasing can be used to structure content and aid accessibility.

Multimedia elements

Would a simple video help? 

Video can be captioned in multiple languages - but this could incur unrealistic costs.

How do users consumer the content - would video place undue demand on data?

Video may additionally help users who have literacy difficulties

WIP 1 - page redesign

Being charged with committing a crime

These are the steps the police and courts use when someone is charged with committing a crime in the UK.

Step 1: Your rights

If you are charged with a crime you have the right to:

• Get details about going to court (the hearing)

• Know if you can go home before going to court. 

Step 2: Understanding a charge sheet

Once you are charged, the police give you a charge sheet. This is a document that gives details on who is being charged, what laws the police believe have been broken and details of the police officers who made the arrest and made the charge.

A charge sheet will look like this:

Alt text: 

A charge sheet from West Yorkshire police. The document provides details of the name, address, age, ethnicity and gender of the person accused of the crime, arrest date, custody number, the police station. Charges are described detailing what the police accuse the person of, and the names of the relevant laws that they allege to have been broken. A section is included for bail without conditions.

Step 3: Your freedoms before going to court

The police decide how much of a risk you are. They will consider how likely you are to commit a crime again, or if you'll be unlikely to show up for your trial.

Single Justice Procedure

If you are viewed as low risk and the charge is minor, a Single Justice Procedure is used. This means you will be allowed to go home and the case may be decided without going to court.

You will be sent a letter called a Single Justice Procedure Notice. You must complete and return it within 21 days. If you don't do this your version of events may not be considered.

Bail

If you are viewed as higher risk and the charge is more serious, you may still be allowed to go home under certain rules. This is known as 'bail'.

You must stick to certain rules ('bail conditions') and show up for your trial. If you do not, the police can arrest you again and you may be returned to jail until your trial.

Bail rules can include:

• living at a particular address

• not contacting certain people

• giving up your passport so you cannot leave the UK

Being refused bail

You may not get bail - see 'Remand' below. The reasons for being refused bail include:

• you've been convicted of a crime in the past

• you've been given bail in the past and not stuck to the rules

• the court thinks you might not turn up for your next hearing

• the court thinks you might commit a crime while you're on bail

Youth Bail

If you are under 18 you have the same rights to bail as an adult.

Remand

You may have been refused bail because you have broken bail conditions before. You may be charged with a serious crime. In these cases you will be viewed as high risk.

When this happens the police will keep you in jail until the date of your court hearing. This is called 'being held on remand'. The police will take you court.

You can be held on remand for 6 months. A judge may decide that you can be held on remand for longer periods. The time you spend in prison may be taken off any time you are sentenced to if you are found guilty at your trial.

Youth Remand

If you're under 18 you can still be held on remand. You won't go to an adult prison, you'll be held at secure centre for young people.

[jarvisryan]

Manual of Guidance and Forms The Prosecution Team Manual of Guidance

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MG4 Form MG4A Form MG4B Form

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[jarvisryan]

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Access Link

[SidWheeler]

I examined site structure and how this page fits. Reworked detail of this page into a guide. Page detail very much draft.

Figjam to show architecture/flow on current site, expected behaviours and rationale for revised structure: https://www.figma.com/file/XL5r6j2lu8AKVXmZ64ElqD/CJH-arrest-and-charge-mapping?type=whiteboard&node-id=0%3A1&t=f2iDmcMU4KeNLJu4-1

[jarvisryan]

LEGAL REVIEW

SECTION: Being charged with a crime

•   The section accurately describes the charge process and the various outcomes following a charge (Single Justice Procedure, Bail, and Remand). It’s important to keep the language precise, especially regarding the consequences of not complying with bail conditions or a Single Justice Procedure notice.
•   This content clearly explains what happens when someone is charged with a crime. The breakdown of different outcomes is especially useful for users who may be unfamiliar with legal procedures.
•   The language is straightforward and appropriate for a broad audience. Using plain English makes it accessible to people with no legal background. However, further clarification on certain legal terms may benefit non-legal readers.

Suggested Edits:

1.  Single Justice Procedure:
•   Consider expanding on what types of offences are considered “minor” for better understanding. E.g., “minor offences such as traffic violations or petty theft.”
•   You may want to emphasise that the Single Justice Procedure applies only to cases in England and Wales.
2.  Bail:
•   The sentence “There may be rules they have to follow” could be clearer by specifying that these rules are called “bail conditions” and giving examples, such as curfews or travel restrictions.
•   In the line “If they are late or fail to attend their court date…”, it might help to include a reference to possible penalties, such as being held in contempt of court or facing additional charges.
3.  Remand:
•   In the sentence “If the person is under 18 they will be held at a secure centre for young people,” it may be useful to specify that such centres are known as Youth Offender Institutions, Secure Children's Homes or Secure Training Centres, depending on the individual’s age.
•   Perhaps consider a brief note on what “remand” means in practice (e.g., being held until their court hearing).