Arraignment
The process in the Crown Court at which the indictment is put to the defendant, who is asked to plead guilty or not guilty. It typically takes place at the Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing, the first Crown Court hearing after a case is sent from the magistrates' court.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
CPS guidance for victims describes the moment in ordinary, procedural terms: 'The first hearing at Crown Court is called the Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing or PTPH.' It is at that hearing that arraignment happens: 'At this hearing the court clerk will read out the list of offences the defendant has been charged with (the indictment) and asks the defendant to plead guilty or not guilty. This process is called arraignment.'
The plea entered at arraignment then determines the shape of everything that follows. A guilty plea to some or all charges can lead straight to sentencing, while a not guilty plea on any charge means the court will set a date for trial. Because the indictment is formally read out and the defendant's plea is recorded at this hearing, arraignment marks the formal start of the trial process even though the trial itself, if there is one, happens later.
Related terms
Official sources
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