The introductory chapter discusses the origin of pretrial review and compares pretrial conferences in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Nottingham system is reviewed with a description of the informal, pragmatic interaction between defense and prosecuting attorneys. A primary purpose of the process is defense discovery; defense disclosure is not required under British law. Guilty pleas arising from pretrial review cannot produce reduced sentences, but a defendant may realize reduced charges. Pretrial review procedures and effects in the Leeds Magistrates' Court are illustrated with case studies. The concluding chapter notes that pretrial review in the magistrates' courts shows that both prosecution and defense attorneys can engage in pretrial discovery in an amicable and useful manner so as to benefit case processing efficiency. The book expresses concern about the defendant being absent from pretrial review sessions as well as about the absence of definitive safeguards for the accused in these sessions. Given such safeguards, the author does not view pretrial review as being a threat to basic justice values. Chapter notes and approximately 150 references are listed.