Lesson T2.3.2

T2.3.2 How courts operate Quiz: KS3 Citizenship, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T2.3.2, How courts operate: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Citizenship (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Rights, rules and justice, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the main role of a court?

    • To hear cases and decide disputes or criminal charges according to the law
    • To collect taxes for the government from citizens and businesses each year
    • To elect the monarch by holding a vote in the courts each time
    • To write new laws for Parliament to pass after each general election

  2. Which court hears most criminal cases first in England and Wales?

    • The Court of Appeal
    • The magistrates' court
    • The Supreme Court
    • The Crown Court

  3. What is the Crown Court mainly used for?

    • Serious criminal cases, with a judge and jury
    • Appeals on tax decisions made by HM Revenue and Customs officers
    • Choosing MPs from among candidates standing in each constituency
    • Local council disputes only, such as planning and housing matters

  4. How many members usually sit on a jury in a criminal trial?

    • 12
    • 20
    • 100
    • 7

  5. Who sits as a magistrate?

    • Members of the royal household who sit on the bench in the courts
    • Police officers on duty who decide cases in the local court
    • MPs who are elected to the court by voters in their constituency
    • Trained volunteers who hear many cases in local courts

  6. Why is the Court of Appeal important?

    • It sets the Budget for the government and decides how much tax to raise
    • It chooses the Prime Minister after each general election in the UK
    • It hears all cases about council tax and business rates across the country
    • It reviews decisions made by lower courts when a party makes a valid appeal

  7. What is the Supreme Court's role?

    • It is the highest court in the UK and hears the most important appeals
    • It runs local police forces and sets their budgets for each county
    • It hears minor traffic offences and deals with parking fines in local areas
    • It appoints MPs to the House of Commons after each general election

  8. A person disagrees with a magistrates' court decision. Which court might they appeal to?

    • The Crown Court
    • The Court of Appeal in an unrelated area
    • The local council chamber
    • The House of Commons

  9. What is the main difference between a judge and a magistrate?

    • There is no difference between them, because both are appointed in the same way
    • Judges are elected by voters, while magistrates are appointed by the monarch
    • Judges are legally trained professionals, while magistrates are usually trained volunteers
    • Judges work only in schools, while magistrates work in hospitals and care homes

  10. Which of these is an example of a case that might be heard in the Crown Court?

    • A parking ticket dispute
    • A serious assault or robbery
    • A fight between two pupils in a playground
    • A complaint about a council's bins

  11. Why are courts open to the public in most cases?

    • To allow the public to decide the sentence
    • To promote transparency and public confidence in justice
    • To make sure every case is won by the prosecution
    • To let MPs take part in trials

  12. What does a court clerk normally do?

    • Deciding the verdict of the trial after the jury has given its decision
    • Helping the court run smoothly by handling paperwork and procedures
    • Writing the laws that the court applies to each case in the justice system
    • Choosing the jury from the list of people summoned for service

  13. Why is it important that courts are independent of government?

    • So that governments can overrule every court decision that they dislike
    • So that the monarch can attend every case in person and approve the outcome
    • So that judgments are made on the law and evidence, not political pressure
    • So that courts can make laws for the government to use in its programmes

  14. A case is heard in the Crown Court and the defendant is found guilty. What decides the sentence?

    • The victim alone, who chooses the punishment for the offender
    • The police officer who made the arrest and collected the evidence
    • The jury, by a public vote in the courtroom at the end of the trial
    • The judge, within the sentencing guidelines and the law

  15. Which court would normally hear an appeal from the Court of Appeal on a point of law of general public importance?

    • A local tribunal
    • The magistrates' court
    • The Crown Court
    • The Supreme Court

  16. What is a 'verdict'?

    • The decision reached by a jury or judge on guilt or liability
    • The name of the court building where the case was heard
    • The payment made to a victim as compensation after the case
    • The sentence given to the defendant after a guilty finding in court

  17. Which feature helps make courts impartial?

    • Judges and magistrates must not be biased in the cases they hear
    • Courts only hear cases from the government
    • Judges are chosen by the people involved in the case
    • Courts make decisions based on public popularity

  18. A person wants a court to order someone to pay them money owed. Which type of court case would this be?

    • A police caution
    • A civil case
    • A parliamentary debate
    • A criminal trial

  19. Why might a court hearing be held in a magistrates' court rather than the Crown Court?

    • The defendant is a member of the monarch's household and so must attend court
    • The court is hearing a debate about a bill that was proposed in Parliament
    • The offence is less serious and falls within the magistrates' powers
    • The judge has been elected by the public to hear cases in the local court

  20. Which of these shows a court applying the principle of precedent?

    • Ignoring all earlier decisions and deciding each case from first principles
    • Letting the monarch decide each case personally after reading the papers
    • Following a previous Supreme Court ruling in a similar case
    • Deciding cases by drawing lots among the members of the court each time

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