NCTJ Court Reporting Practice Exam

A summary offence is defined as a minor crime that typically does not carry the right to a jury trial. This means that cases involving summary offences are generally heard in lower courts, such as magistrates' courts, where a judge or magistrate decides the outcome. The focus of such a classification is on the nature of the offence itself, which is less serious compared to indictable offences.

Summary offences usually involve actions that are less likely to cause significant harm or distress to individuals or society, making them suitable for less formal judicial proceedings. Examples of summary offences might include petty theft, minor assault, or small-scale public order offences.

The other options mention characteristics associated with more serious crimes, such as significant physical harm or the necessity of a jury trial, which are not applicable to summary offences. Major crimes that require a jury trial are typically known as indictable offences, and federal offences tend to be prosecuted in higher courts, indicating a level of severity and complexity that is inconsistent with the definition of summary offences.