National Listing Framework – Court Listing Plans: Model Plan B – a small centre
This is a model Plan. Bramwell Crown Court is fictional.
It illustrates how a small centre might complete the national template, making different choices from Model Plan A, with which it shares a cross-centre arrangement.
1.Status, approval and version
| Crown Court centre | Bramwell Crown Court |
| Resident Judge | HHJ [ ] |
| Approved by | [ ], Presiding Judge, [ ] Circuit |
| Approved / published | 2 June 2027 / 21 June 2027 |
| Version | 1.0 · next review due June 2028 |
| LISTING AT THIS CENTRE | |
| Form of Flexible Date listing | Defined period, not exceeding one week |
| Case Progression Meeting | Wednesday of the third week before the trial week, 2.00pm, by video |
| Representations about listing | bramwell.listing@justice.example — by 4.00pm on the Tuesday before the meeting |
| Listing enquiries | bramwell.listing@justice.example |
| Advance List / Firm List | Friday of the fifth week / Monday of the second week |
| Trial-date variation by agreement | None — every application is determined by a judge |
| Local initiatives | None |
This page summarises information set out in full in the sections which follow.
This Court Listing Plan is made under Chapter 4 §24 of the CrimPDL and is supplemental to it. It explains how the National Listing Framework operates at this court centre and identifies the local listing arrangements adopted under Chapter 2 §3. It cannot override the CrimPDL, any guidance or direction issued by the Senior Presiding Judge, or a judicial order or direction in an individual case.
2. Court-Centre profile and available capacity
Bramwell Crown Court occupies a single building in the centre of Bramwell and serves the borough and the surrounding rural district. It has four courtrooms.
Court 1 is the only courtroom with a secure dock and cell access, and all custody trials are listed there. Court 4 has no jury facilities and is used exclusively for short work. Courts 2 and 3 are ordinarily used for trials. Court 2 has live link and section 28 recording facilities; no other courtroom at Bramwell does.
The centre has no annexe, no remote courtroom, and does not share accommodation with other jurisdictions.
The judicial complement is the Resident Judge, one other Circuit Judge, and Recorders sitting on rotation. Cases requiring authorisation which neither resident Circuit Judge holds are listed at the receiving centre named at section 14. The workload is predominantly Tier 3 and Tier 4 trials of short estimate, with a small number of longer trials each year.
3. Local listing arrangements under Chapter 2 §3
Two local listing arrangements operate at this centre. Arrangements described elsewhere in the Plan are identified by cross-reference below.
Section 28 and ground rules listing day
Ground rules hearings and section 28 recordings are listed on alternate Wednesdays in Court 2, ordinarily before the Resident Judge. Court 2 is the only courtroom with recording facilities; a fixed fortnightly day allows the intermediary service, the Witness Care Unit and the parties to plan, and prevents section 28 work displacing trials in Court 2 on an unpredictable basis. It applies to all cases in which a section 28 direction has been made. There is no separate local guidance on section 28 at this centre.
Monthly appeals list
Appeals from the magistrates’ courts are listed on the first Thursday of each month in Court 4, to secure magistrate availability and to prevent appeals displacing trial capacity in a centre with two ordinary trial courtrooms. Where the volume in a month exceeds a single day, an additional date is fixed and published on the Advance List.
Other standing arrangements
- Ordinary allocation of capacity and the sitting pattern — section 4.
- Use of shared trial capacity — section 6.
- Reserved prison video-link sessions — section 11.
- Cross-centre listing arrangement — section 14.
Arrangements arising from separate local guidance
This centre maintains no separate local judicial or operational guidance which contains a local listing arrangement. Should such guidance be introduced, any listing arrangement within it will be identified in this section. Any local listing arrangement relating to section 28 must be consistent with Ch4 §5: the fact that cross-examination has been pre-recorded does not itself reduce the priority of the case.
4. Allocation of trial and non-trial capacity
For the purposes of this Plan, short work means all Crown Court business other than trials. The ordinary listing profile is:
- Court 1 — custody trials, and short work in custody cases before trials commence;
- Courts 2 and 3 — trials;
- Court 4 — plea and trial preparation hearings, sentence and other short work.
Court 4 provides dedicated non-trial capacity, but cannot accommodate all non-trial work while the full trial programme is maintained. Short work is therefore also listed at 9.30am in trial courtrooms and is arranged to conclude by 10.30am, when trials ordinarily commence. Where short work concludes earlier, a trial may commence earlier.
The centre maintains sufficient Fixed Date capacity in Courts 1 to 3 for Tier 1 and Tier 2 trials and cases subject to custody time limits. In practice those trials are ordinarily listed in Court 1 or Court 3, where the risk of displacement by section 28 work is lowest. Tier 3 and Tier 4 trials are accommodated through Flexible Date capacity across all three jury courtrooms.
Longer trials present a particular difficulty at a centre of this size, since a trial of more than two weeks commits a third of the jury capacity. Trials estimated to exceed ten days are referred to the Resident Judge before a date is offered, and may be listed at the receiving centre named at section 14.
This Plan does not allocate a fixed proportion of capacity to individual Priority Tiers. Priority Tiers guide the relative priority of individual cases; they are not quotas for the use of courtrooms.
5. Fixed Date and Flexible Date arrangements
All trial listings at this centre are designated as either a Fixed Date (1F) or a Flexible Date (2F). The superseded expressions “backer”, “floater”, “fixed floater” and “priority floater” are not used.
Tiers 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 are ordinarily listed as Fixed Date. Tiers 3 and 4 are ordinarily listed as Flexible Date. The court may depart from that allocation where the interests of justice require, including where doing so would permit a materially earlier trial date (Ch4 §3(b)).
The form of Flexible Date listing used at this centre
Bramwell uses the defined period model. A Flexible Date case is listed to be called on at any time during a defined period, which does not exceed one week. With three jury courtrooms, a Flexible Date case given a specified date at Bramwell would frequently not be reached on that date, and a defined week reflects more accurately what the parties can expect.
Assignment of a specific date
So far as practicable, not less than two weeks before the beginning of the Flexible Date period, the Listing Officer assigns a specific date for the commencement of the trial and notifies the parties. That assignment is made following the Three-Week Review and is reflected in the Firm List. It does not convert a Flexible Date listing into a Fixed Date: the case remains liable to be called on at any point in the defined period.
Allocation at the plea and trial preparation hearing
The Priority Tier and the listing type are determined at the PTPH, having heard any representations from the parties, and are recorded on the PTPH form and in the judicial memorandum. At the point of listing the parties are told whether the case is a Fixed Date or a Flexible Date and, if a Flexible Date, the week identified. The Advance List and the Firm List identify the designation of every trial.
Bramwell adopts the defined period model and explains why; Model Plan A adopts the specified date model. The distinction between assigning a commencement date and changing the listing designation matters more under this model than under the other.
6. Use of shared trial capacity
This centre lists more than one case against available trial capacity as a matter of routine. With three jury courtrooms and a substantial volume of short Tier 3 and Tier 4 work, a proportion of which resolves before trial, listing one case per courtroom would leave capacity unused.
The number varies with the mix of work. Recent experience has commonly involved two, and occasionally three, trials of short estimate. That experience is not a limit or a target: the Listing Officer exercises judgement in each case, having regard to the estimates, readiness and likelihood of resolution.
Where capacity is shared, the parties are told so at the point of listing, and how many cases share it. The case which will proceed is identified as early as the position allows, and in any event by the Firm List where practicable. Witnesses are not warned for a case which is not expected to be reached. If a case sharing capacity is not reached, section 10 applies.
A higher Priority Tier does not automatically displace a case already listed. Where accommodating one case would require another trial to be moved, that is a fresh judicial listing decision in both cases.
Bramwell makes more routine use of shared capacity than Northgate. Its recent experience gives context, while the number of cases sharing capacity is left to assessment in the circumstances of the particular week.
7. Local initiatives
This centre operates no Short Trial Court and no Review Court, and no other local initiative within the meaning of Chapter 4 §24(c). A centre of this size has limited capacity to commit to a dedicated list, and the effect on the ordinary trial programme would be substantial. The position is kept under review, and should either model be adopted this Plan will be amended and resubmitted for approval.
8. The run-up to trial
The run-up to trial at this centre is a single process, from the Advance List through readiness review and the Case Progression Meeting to the Firm List. Trial estimates must be realistic and kept under review, and must include the time required for jury deliberation and any other necessary time. This centre does not operate any estimating convention inconsistent with those requirements.
| Advance List | Published on the Monday of the fourth week before the trial week |
| Certificates of Trial Readiness | Served by 4.30pm the same day, on the Digital Case System |
| Case Progression Meeting | Tuesday of the third week, 10.00am, by video |
| Three-Week and One-Week Reviews | Resident Judge or deputy, informed by the meeting |
| Firm List | Monday of the second week before the trial week |
| Daily Lists | Day before the sitting — draft by 12 noon, final by 3.30pm |
Certificates of Trial Readiness are directed at the PTPH and at any subsequent pre-trial hearing. Any case in which a certificate has not been served, or in which a matter is identified which may affect readiness, the estimate or effectiveness, is put before the Case Progression Meeting.
The meeting is convened and chaired by the Northgate Case Progression Team. The Witness Care Unit, the Crown Prosecution Service and a Listing Officer or Case Progression Officer must be represented, and those attending must be briefed on every trial listed for the week under review. Defence representatives and barristers’ clerks may attend; where a person entitled to attend cannot do so, written representations may be made under section 9. The meeting records a view on the readiness and likely effectiveness of each trial. It does not determine contested applications and does not replace judicial case management.
Whether witnesses are warned, or stood down, is a decision for the prosecutor. The meeting exists to ensure that decision is taken on the best available information and in time. The defence remains responsible for arrangements concerning its witnesses.
At the Three-Week and One-Week Reviews the Resident Judge or a deputy determines whether any Fixed Date case is at risk of not being reached and whether a mention hearing is required. The Daily List indicates whether a trial is “to be heard only in this courtroom” or “may be heard in another courtroom”.
The two models adopt different local timings. In each, the certificate deadline allows time for review before the Case Progression Meeting.
9. Representations about listing
Representations about listing may be made by any party or interested person, to bramwell.listing@justice.example — a monitored team inbox, not an individual address. Representations intended for the Case Progression Meeting should be sent by 4.00pm on the Tuesday before the meeting; representations in response to the Firm List or the Daily List, promptly, to the same address.
A useful representation identifies the case name and URN, the trial week, the issue, why it affects readiness or listing, what has already been done about it, and what is sought from the court. Because most defence information reaches the Case Progression Meeting in writing rather than through attendance, court users are encouraged to use this route in preference to informal contact. Receipt of a representation does not determine an application which requires a judicial decision.
10. Trial-date variations, trials not reached and delegated
Variation of a trial date
A trial date, once fixed, is not varied without good reason. The unavailability of an advocate will not normally justify variation where the court considers that suitable alternative representation can reasonably be arranged without causing unfairness (Ch4 §9(c)).
Circumstances determined by the Resident Judge under Ch4 §9(d).The Resident Judge has considered whether to determine circumstances in which the Listing Officer may agree a variation with the consent of the parties, and has determined that there are none. Every application to vary a trial date at this centre is determined by a judge at a hearing (Ch4 §9(e)), ordinarily within five working days.
The reason is the size of the centre: with three jury courtrooms, a variation in one case materially affects the listing of others, and those consequences should be considered judicially in every case. The position will be reviewed at the next annual review of this Plan.
Northgate sets out seven cumulative conditions in which the Listing Officer may agree a variation; Bramwell determines that there are none. Both discharge Ch4 §9(d), because both record a decision the Resident Judge has actually taken.
Trials not reached, and ineffective trials
Where a trial is not reached for lack of court time it is listed before a judge for further directions. It is not re-listed administratively. Where practicable that hearing takes place on the date on which the case was listed and not reached. At that hearing the court reconsiders the Priority Tier and the listing arrangements; a Flexible Date trial not reached within its period is, so far as practicable, given a Fixed Date on re-listing.
This centre has no standing arrangement for listing ineffective trials before a judge on a fixed day. Where a trial becomes ineffective, the trial judge gives such further directions as are required at the time, and the case and the reason are recorded for the purposes of the monitoring at section 15.
11. Urgent and specialist standing arrangements
Custody time limits. Any application relating to a custody time limit is listed as urgency requires and ordinarily within two working days, before the Resident Judge or the other Circuit Judge. Where neither is sitting at Bramwell, the application is referred to the Resident Judge at the receiving centre named at section 14.
Live links. The operative edition of the Lady Chief Justice’s Live Links in Criminal Courts Guidance applies. Court 2 is the only courtroom with live link facilities, and prison video-link capacity is reserved there on Friday mornings for the sentence and mentions list. There are no other standing arrangements for urgent or specialist work at this centre.
12. Engagement with court users
- Listing and case progression enquiries: bramwell.listing@justice.example
- Representations about listing: as at section 9
The Bramwell Court Users Group meets twice a year, chaired by the Resident Judge and attended by representatives of the local Bar, the solicitors’ profession, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Witness Care Unit, the probation service and HMCTS. Items may be raised through the listing inbox. These arrangements exist to improve the information available for listing; they are not a route for circumventing judicial decisions or formal applications.
13. Judicial responsibility and escalation
Listing is a judicial responsibility and function. HMCTS staff perform an essential operational role in support of the court and in accordance with judicial direction, and judicial oversight is maintained over all listing practices at this centre.
A record of trials not reached and of ineffective trials and their causes is maintained and reviewed quarterly, so that systemic causes can be addressed.
Where at the PTPH the judge considers that a case would benefit from early reservation to a trial judge, the case is referred to the Resident Judge by note on the Digital Case System. Given the size of the judicial complement, reservation at this centre is in practice reservation to one of two judges, and is used sparingly. This centre appoints no judicial leads. Urgent matters arising when neither Circuit Judge is sitting are referred to the Resident Judge at the receiving centre named at section 14.
14. Regional and cross-centre arrangements
Bramwell participates in a regional listing arrangement with Northgate Crown Court, 22 miles away, which is the designated receiving centre for this centre. Under that arrangement trials estimated to exceed ten days may be listed at Northgate where Bramwell cannot accommodate them without disproportionate effect on its trial programme; cases requiring judicial authorisation not held at Bramwell are ordinarily listed at Northgate; and urgent applications arising when neither Bramwell Circuit Judge is sitting are referred to the Resident Judge at Northgate.
Transfers are arranged in accordance with Ch4 §26, which this Plan does not alter. Before a case is transferred the parties are informed and may make representations.
The two models describe the same arrangement from the sending and receiving centres’ perspectives.
15. Review, amendment and version control
This Plan is reviewed annually in June, and whenever there is a material change to national guidance or to the arrangements it describes (Ch4 §24(b)). Each review considers whether any new local practice has developed which amounts to a local listing arrangement, and reconsiders the position at section 10 on trial-date variations and the decision at section 7 not to operate a Short Trial Court.
Material amendments are submitted to the Presiding Judges for approval before publication; minor administrative updates are not. A single current version is published, and superseded versions are archived.