What a Single Justice Procedure Notice Actually Is
The Single Justice Procedure (SJP) is how magistrates' courts in England and Wales deal with minor, non-imprisonable offences on paper. Instead of a courtroom hearing, a single magistrate reads the prosecution evidence and anything you send back, then decides the case.
The notice pack usually contains: the charge (what you're accused of), a summary of the evidence, a plea form, and a financial means form. Common SJP cases include TV licence evasion, driving without insurance, speeding, driving without an MOT, fare evasion and school-attendance cases.
An SJPN is serious — it is a real prosecution and can end in a criminal conviction and a fine — but it is also very manageable if you respond in time.
Your Three Options — Respond Within 21 Days
You normally have 21 days from the date printed on the notice to return your plea, either online using the plea service shown on your notice or by post using the enclosed forms. Your options:
- Plead guilty and let the case be dealt with on paper — no court visit. Send written mitigation (your side of the story) and the completed means form. The magistrate must take both into account.
- Plead guilty but ask to come to court — if you want to explain in person before sentence.
- Plead not guilty — the case leaves the Single Justice Procedure and is listed for a hearing at a magistrates' court, where you can challenge the evidence.
- Whatever you choose, choosing something beats silence — responding on time is what protects you.
The Means Form — Why It Cuts Fines
Fines in the magistrates' court are based on your income. If you return the financial means form, the fine is calculated from what you actually earn. If you don't, the court is entitled to assume an income level that may be much higher than yours — and set the fine accordingly.
Filling in the means form is the single highest-value five minutes in the whole process. Include benefits, low income, caring responsibilities and anything else that affects what you can pay.
TV Licence Cases — Engage Before the Deadline
If your SJPN is about TV licence evasion, it is worth contacting TV Licensing before your response deadline. Buying a licence (if you need one) and engaging with them can, in some cases, lead to the prosecution being withdrawn — there is no guarantee, but it costs nothing to try and does not affect your right to respond to the notice.
See our full guide: TV licence rules, letters and enforcement.
Missed It? The Statutory Declaration
If the deadline passed — or you only discovered the conviction later (post going to an old address is common) — you can usually make a statutory declaration: a formal statement that you did not know about the case, made within 21 days of finding out about the conviction. If accepted, the conviction is set aside and the case starts again, giving you back your chance to respond properly.
Contact the court named on the paperwork as soon as you find out — the 21-day clock for the declaration runs from the day you learned of the conviction.
SJPN — Quick Answers
Is an SJPN a criminal charge? Yes — for a minor, non-imprisonable offence. Responding is how you keep control of the outcome.
Do I have to go to court? Not unless you want to (guilty plea in person) or you plead not guilty. Most SJP cases are decided entirely on paper.
Got the letter and feel panicked? Upload it to the letter decoder — Sorted will confirm what it is, extract your exact deadline, and you can set a reminder so the 21 days can't slip past. Track it in My cases.