Words Your Way a très bien expliqué de quoi il s'agit! Voici des définitions un peu plus détaillées. La majeure différence est qu'au Crown Court, il y a un jury.


http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=466481&secid=.-&hh=1


either way offences : Crimes that may be tried either as an indictable offence or a summary offence. These include offences of deception, theft, bigamy, and sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16.When an offence is triable either way, the magistrates' court must decide, on hearing the initial facts of the case, if it should be tried on indictment rather than summarily (for example, because it appears to be a serious case). Even if they decide that they can deal with the matter adequately themselves, they must give the defendant the choice of opting for trial upon indictment before a jury. There are three exceptional cases, however…
Dictionary of Law, Oxford University Press © Market House Books Ltd 1997



http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=465822

indictable offence :
An offence that may be tried on indictment, i.e. by jury in the Crown Court. Most serious common-law offences are indictable (e.g. murder, rape) and many are created by statute. When statute creates an offence without specifying how it is to be tried, it is automatically an indictable offence. An attempt to commit an indictable offence is itself an indictable offence; the same is not true for a summary offence. Some indictable offences, if not very serious, may be tried either by magistrates or on indictment (see offences triable either way).

http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=467530

summary offence :

An offence that can only be tried summarily, i.e. before magistrates. Most minor offences (e.g. common assault and battery) are summary. Prosecutions for all summary offences must be started within six months of the commission of the offence, unless statute expressly provides to the contrary. Compare indictable offence; offences triable either way.



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Note added at 2003-03-13 09:31:40 (GMT)
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Souvent un accusé va préférer, ou son avocat va lui conseiller ainsi, d\'aller devant la Crown Court. Cela peut paraître bizarre, car la CC à des pouvoirs bien plus étendues en termes de peines. Cependant, dans certains cas, c\'est \"conseillé\" car la présence d\'un jury apportent la possibilité que le résultat soit justement moins pénalisant pour l\'accusé. Il ya aussi le risque de se trouver avec une plus lourde peine aussi.

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Note added at 2003-03-15 17:03:49 (GMT)
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Oops!

\"...car la CC a des pouvoirs bien plus étendus en termes de peines. \"

\"... la présence d\'un jury apporte la possibilité ...\"