Earlier in the week some of our Year 12 and Year 13 Politics and Sociology students were lucky enough to visit Bristol’s Crown Court to witness justice in action and learn more about the rule of law in society.

We started the day with a fantastic interactive Q&A session with His Honour Judge Horton, one of Bristol’s best known and most experienced judges. He shared stories of some of the cases he had worked on and explained some of the complex decisions he has to make on a daily basis. Students then got to experience the different roles in the courtroom through role play. HHJ Horton was extremely generous with his time and we were very grateful to have this opportunity with him.

 

After a break, our students were given unrestricted access to visit any of the ten courts in session that day. Cases ranged from drug trafficking through to murder. We were very fortunate to watch a landmark case in action, which centred around an acid attack that occurred in Bristol. The case is currently in the national news.

Students were impressed by the processes involved in bringing criminals to justice.

‘First-hand viewing of the judicial system in action was incredibly valuable both for my Politics A-Level and for a wider understanding of the country. Plus it was a lot of fun!’ – Will O, Year 12

‘We went to the court and experienced shocking, real life cases that we didn’t know would occur so close to home. An eye opening experience, truly.’  – Hannah Z & Laura B, Year 12

‘For me it was definitely an enriching experience; I learnt a lot more about our judicial system and how it works, and how it impacts us and those who work inside it.’ – James C, Year 12

‘I found going to Bristol CC to be an informative and fun day out.’ – Euan A, Year 12

‘It was fantastic to see the pursuit of justice happening in front of me. It provided a valuable insight into the British legal system.’ – Niall B, Year 12

‘Visiting Bristol Crown Court helped me to see the judiciary in action, not only this but it was an interesting experience to see real life court cases without dramatized versions.’ – Lily W, Year 12

Mr M Leaman
Teacher of Humanities / Educational Visits Co-ordinator / Pupil Premium Champion