A major shortcoming of court procedures is that unrepresented defendants are often left wondering, as you are, what�s going on.
Many magistrates try to explain what happens next in the proceedings, but many do not.
The purpose of a pre-trial review (PTR) is to establish the nature of the prosecution and defence cases (inasmuch as what type of evidence and how much of it will be presented). This allows the appropriate court time to be set aside and also ensures that any special facilities (video/DVD players, screens for vulnerable witnesses, video linkups, etc.) are in place on the day. Also discussed is the availability of all the witnesses involved.
No evidence is presented, no magistrates are present (it is presided over by the court�s Legal Advisor), no witnesses are present. In fact, if the defendant is represented by a solicitor his attendance is usually excused.
Nothing that happens at the PTR will prejudice your case. It is purely an administrative hearing to make sure that the right amount of court time is available and that all facilities are in place.
After the PTR both sides have to sign a �Certificate of Readiness for Trial� saying that all is well to proceed to the trial itself.
Hope this helps.