In the Crown Court in England, cases may be decided by which of the following?

• A. A single professional judge.
• B. A judge or a jury.
• C. Three lay judges only.
• D. A magistrate panel.

Answer: (B)

In the Crown Court, cases can be decided either by a judge sitting with a jury or by a judge alone. This reflects the two main ways criminal trials are conducted there: most trials involve a jury of laypeople who determine guilt based on the evidence, with the judge directing on the law and ensuring proper procedure. In some circumstances, a trial can be heard by a judge without a jury, where the judge decides both the law and the verdict (usually with the defendant’s consent or under specific legal provisions). The other options don’t fit because magistrate panels operate in the Magistrates’ Court, not the Crown Court, and there is no system of three lay judges deciding Crown Court cases.