Stacey Mabrouk, solicitor at Olliers, advises what a PTPH is. A Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing (PTPH) is the first hearing in the crown court. At the PTPH you will be asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. In the event of a not guilty plea a trial date will be set. The court will also set a timetable for the prosecution to serve the evidence in its entirety. This is normally 70 days from the first hearing in the Magistrates Court (so normally a further 42 days after the PTPH). Further stage dates are also set for the service of the defence case statement and any further evidence from the prosecution arising from that defence statement. Before the PTPH you will have a conference to discuss your plea. In the event of a guilty plea at the PTPH the case will be adjourned for sentence to another date. There are some instances that the court will proceed to sentence on the same date and you will be notified of this by your solicitor if this is a possibility.
