• At the accused’s first appearance in court, the charge will be read out to him or her. If the accused admits to committing the crimes listed in the charge sheet and confirms the Statement of Facts, he or she can choose to plead guilty and await the judge’s sentence. Alternatively, the accused can refuse to plead guilty and claim trial.
• During trial, the judge will review allegations faced by the accused and evaluate the validity of the documents, videos, photographs, objects, and witnesses’ testimonies related to the case to determine whether the elements in the charge have been made out and whether the accused is to be convicted or acquitted.
• Once the accused is convicted and sentenced, he or she can only appeal against the sentence and cannot challenge the charge or request a retrial.
• Conversely, if the accused has any objection to the charge, he or she can file a defence, and the court will set a date to try the case.

According to the procedures for criminal proceedings, the court may double the sentence of the defendant when sentencing a case involving joint charges. (Lianhe Zaobao, 8/7/2021)

公诉 (Mainland China, Taiwan), 控罪 (Hong Kong)