Magistrates Court Hearing List — Today's Cases — Today, Tuesday, 12 May 2026
There are 167 courts across 9 regions in England and Wales. Magistrates Courts handle less serious criminal cases, including minor theft, criminal damage, and driving offences. Most criminal cases start in a Magistrates Court.All listings are sourced daily from HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
HMCTS data last refreshed . Refreshed multiple times daily from HMCTS.
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How to Use Magistrates Court Listings
- Find your court from the directory below, organised by region.
- Select a court to view today's hearings with times, courtrooms, and judges.
- Search by case reference or party name to find a specific hearing.
- Set up a free alert to get SMS or email notifications when cases are listed.
London
Midlands
National
North East
North West
South East
South West
Wales
Yorkshire and Humberside
Guides & Resources
Understanding Magistrates Court Listing Codes
A guide to Magistrates Court listing codes, list types, and abbreviations. Learn what SJP means, how to read a standard list, and what the different listing formats contain.
What Is the Single Justice Procedure (SJP)?
A guide to the Single Justice Procedure for minor criminal offences in England and Wales. How SJP notices work, what to do if you receive one, the 21-day deadline, and how courts decide cases on paper without a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out who's in Magistrates' Court today?
CauseAlert publishes today's cause list for every Magistrates' Court in England and Wales. Each listing shows case references, party names (where published by HMCTS), hearing times, and courtrooms. Create a free alert to be notified when specific names or cases are listed.
What is a cause list?
A cause list is the official daily schedule published by HMCTS for each court in England and Wales. It lists every case by time, courtroom, judge, and hearing type for a given day. CauseAlert aggregates cause lists from all 167 Magistrates' Courts in England and Wales, updated hourly.
What cases are being heard in Magistrates' Courts today?
Today's hearings at every Magistrates' Court in England and Wales are listed by CauseAlert with case references, hearing types, courtrooms, times, and judges as published by HMCTS. The cause list updates throughout the day as HMCTS releases revisions.
What is a magistrates' court hearing list?
"Hearing list" and "cause list" describe the same document — the official daily schedule of cases listed at a Magistrates' Court, published by HMCTS. It shows the case reference, defendant or party names (where published), hearing type, courtroom, and time for each case. CauseAlert publishes the hearing list for all 167 Magistrates' Courts in England and Wales at https://www.causealert.com/magistrates-court-listings.
What is a Magistrates' Court?
Magistrates' Courts handle less serious criminal cases, including minor theft, criminal damage, and driving offences. Most criminal cases in England and Wales start in a Magistrates' Court.
Are Magistrates' Courts hearings open to the public?
Most Magistrates' Court hearings are open to the public, although certain youth and family matters are held in private.
What kinds of cases are heard at Magistrates' Courts?
Magistrates' Courts deal with summary offences, either-way offences at first appearance, bail applications, and the single justice procedure.
Where can I find Magistrates' Court sentencing results?
CauseAlert shows scheduled hearings at every Magistrates' Court in England and Wales, including cases listed for sentencing. However, outcomes (verdicts and sentences) are not published through HMCTS cause lists. For sentencing remarks, check the Judiciary website at judiciary.uk or local news coverage.
Where can I find the results of magistrates court hearings?
Magistrates' Court cause lists show scheduled hearings, not their outcomes. HMCTS does not publish hearing results through the cause list system — check the court's public register or local news for results. CauseAlert publishes the full hearing list for all 167 Magistrates' Courts in England and Wales at https://www.causealert.com/magistrates-court-listings, updated as HMCTS releases new listings throughout the day.
Where can I see tomorrow's Magistrates' Courts listings?
HMCTS typically publishes tomorrow's cause list by 4pm today. CauseAlert mirrors every published listing for every Magistrates' Court in England and Wales — browse the directory at https://www.causealert.com/magistrates-court-listings, open the court you're interested in, and select tomorrow's date. Or set up a free alert to be notified the moment a matching case is listed.
How do I set up alerts for Magistrates' Courts hearings?
CauseAlert provides free SMS and email alerts for any court hearing. Create an account at causealert.com and add a subscription for any Magistrates' Court, case reference, or party name — you'll be notified whenever a matching hearing is listed.
What is the Single Justice Procedure (SJP)?
The Single Justice Procedure allows a single magistrate to deal with minor, non-imprisonable offences (like TV licence evasion or minor road traffic offences) on paper, without a public hearing. Defendants can plead guilty by post or online. If you plead not guilty, the case is listed for a full hearing.
Other Court Types
Court data sourced from HM Courts & Tribunals Service, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Crown copyright.