A trial is a court hearing in a Magistrate’s Court or a High Court, called the trial court.

The magistrate or judge listens to all the people who have information about the case. This information is called the verbal or oral evidence. The court also looks at the physical evidence, for example, a knife or a letter. These are called exhibits in the trial.

The magistrate or judge listens to the evidence from both sides. If it is a criminal trial, the magistrate or judge listens to the state and its witnesses as well as the case of the accused and the witnesses called by the accused. The magistrate or judge then makes a decision, called a judgment.

(See: Chart: Summary of Steps in a Criminal Court Case)