If you are a victim or witness in a serious crime, police will ask you to make a statement about what happened as part of their investigation.

Nearly all criminal cases start off in the Local Court before a magistrate.

 When a matter goes to the District or Supreme Court the case may be mentioned several times before a Judge, before the accused is tried or sentenced.

Trials in the District and Supreme Courts are before a judge and jury.

If a defendant is convicted in a criminal prosecution, the event that follows is called sentencing. A sentence is the penalty ordered by the court.

The offender has 28 days from a conviction or sentencing to appeal, or let the court know that they are planning to appeal.

Not all criminal cases will end with a verdict of guilty or not guilty; there are a number of other possible outcomes.

The Early Appropriate Guilty Plea reforms were introduced in NSW in 2018. The reform is designed to encourage early pleas of guilty in criminal cases.