The Crown Court also hears appeals against conviction and sentence from magistrates.
England is divided into six regions by HMCTS (London, Midlands, North East, North West, South East and Western), with the whole of Wales forming a seventh region.
[3] In 2007, there were 91 locations in England and Wales at which the Crown Court regularly sat.
Circuit judges and recorders sit at all three tiers, hearing 88% and 10% of the cases respectively.
When the Crown Court is conducting a trial, the judge sits with a jury of twelve; when hearing appeals against decisions of a magistrates' court, the judge sits with two (or sometimes four) magistrates.