Business and technology qualifications, Levels 3-6, in Brussels. Explore qualifications
Portal login
Level 3 Diploma in Law

The Criminal Court Hierarchy

LAW301 · Introduction to Law and Practice — Week 6 of 16

CourseLAW301
Week6 of 16
SemesterI
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

The Criminal Court Hierarchy

  1. Jurisdictions of the Magistrates' Court and the Crown Court
  2. Classification of offences into summary, either-way, and indictable
  3. Early administrative hearings and trial procedures
  4. Sentencing powers and disposals
  5. Criminal Courts # 1 - A General Outline
  6. Types of Offences | Criminal Justice
  7. How offenders are sentenced in England and Wales
  8. What is sentencing?

What you will be able to do

  • 3.2 Describe the hierarchical structure and types of criminal courts.
  • 3.5 Analyse the work that criminal courts undertake.

Activity

Start with this week’s 4 videos, then: Seminar, guided reading and a short written task: describe the hierarchical structure and types of criminal courts.

Study materials

Videos

  • Criminal Courts # 1 - A General Outline · YouTube · The Law Bank · 22 min · for registered students
  • Types of Offences | Criminal Justice · YouTube · The Law Academy · 11 min · for registered students
  • How offenders are sentenced in England and Wales · YouTube · SentencingCouncil · 6 min · for registered students
  • What is sentencing? · Oak National Academy, Key Stage 4 (GCSE level) · for registered students

Further resources

  • Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Part 1 (2025) · PDF · GOV.UK, report; 388 pages · for registered students
  • How sentencing works (Sentencing Council) · Reading · Other, guidance · for registered students
  • Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Part 2, Overview (2026) · PDF · GOV.UK, report; 24 pages · for registered students
Materials marked “for registered students” open in the student portal, which is set up as soon as you receive final acceptance.
Week 5Week 7
Course chat

Admitted students ask questions on this week’s page in the student portal: an AI assistant trained on the course answers first, and during the course’s timetabled classes Connect to your tutor brings your tutor into the chat, who may start a call if needed.

Open this week in the portal
Course plan
  • Week 1: Nature and Classification of Law
  • Week 2: Constitutional Framework and Sources of Law
  • Week 3: Parliamentary Law Making
  • Week 4: Delegated Legislation and Law Reform
  • Week 5: The Civil Court System
  • Week 6: The Criminal Court Hierarchy
  • Week 7: Appeals and Appellate Courts
  • Midterm: Midterm evaluation
  • Week 9: The Judiciary
  • Week 10: Lay People in the Legal System
  • Week 11: The Legal Profession and Professional Ethics
  • Week 12: Applying Introduction to Law and Practice in practice: case…
  • Week 13: Assignment workshop: research, planning and referencing
  • Week 14: Assignment workshop: drafting, feedback and improvement
  • Week 15: Review and coursework completion
  • Final: Final assessment and submission
Back to the course
Scroll