This new edition provides an introduction to the magistrates' court,with emphasis on the central elements of procedure. It is designed to provide the new practitioner with simple guidelines in court practice. The book focuses on the adult criminal court and the new developments in proceedings for the transfer of criminal cases to the Crown Court as well as the existing committal procedures. Developments in Youth Courts and the Family Proceedings Court are summarised and, together with sections on Road Traffic and Licensing, they provide introductions to these areas to complement fuller texts in the series.