Crown Cases Reserved - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition crown-cases-reserved

Definition :

Crown cases reserved. Questions of law at criminal trials (except in the case of demurrers and writs of error) might be referred for decision to the 'Court for the Consideration of Crown Cases reserved,' sitting under the authority of the Crown Cases Act,1848 (11 & 12 Vict. c. 78), provided the judge who tried the prisoner consented to state a case, though if he refused no court had power to compel him to do so.

The jurisdiction given by the Act of 1848 (English) is now transferred to the Court of Criminal Appeal byvirtue of s. 20 of the Criminal Appeal Act,1907 (7 Edw. 7, c. 23), which s. also preserves to some extent the procedure under the Crown Cses Act. The judgment of such court infinaland without appeal, unless a certificate of the Attorney General is obtained under s. 1(6) of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907. The (English) Judicature Act, 1925, s. 31 (1) (a) has a saving for appeal under the Act of 1907. See R. v. Ball, 1911 AC 47; and (English) CRIMINAL APPEAL ACT, 1907.