What is an indictable offence and how is it brought to trial?
An indictable offence is the most serious category of criminal offence. It includes offences such as murder, wounding with intent, abducting children and arson. By definition, an indictable offence must be tried on indictment, this being a formal charge of having committed one of the most serious criminal offences such as murder. It is contained within a Bill of Indictment, which sets out the charges that the accused is alleged to have committed. A Bill of Indictment is a written accusation issued by the Crown Prosecution Service in the name of the Queen (the Crown) alleging that the accused has committed an indictable offence.
