Wandsworth students see justice done on court visit

8:00am Monday 3rd November 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Pupils from four Wandsworth secondary schools appeared in Balham Youth Court recently - but thankfully not as defendants.

They were invited by the court to take part in mock trial, where students learnt what it was like to be a witness, lawyer or magistrate.

More than 30 teenagers from Ernest Bevin, Burntwood, Chestnut Grove and Southfields College took part in the drive to make courts more accessible to youngsters.

Lois Adams, senior witness service coordinator, said: “The day provided a great opportunity for young people to see how the court works and what support they can expect if they are a victim or witness. One young person said that before today she probably wouldn’t have given evidence in court but now felt she would have the confidence to do so.”

Pupils were shown how witnesses can be protected by screens and were talked through deciding whether someone was guilty or not.

They were also given a tour of the court cells and shown how an electronic tag works when police are keeping track of a criminal.

The event, on Monday, October 20, was part of Inside Justice Week, which aims to raise public awareness of how the Criminal Justice Service works.

A spokesman for the court said: “There were lots of smiling faces. It’s helpful because it shows children it's not going to be as difficult as they think to give evidence if they witness a crime.

“It can also be that where children are looking at crime as glamorous, it can have an off-putting effect.”

Thanking court staff at the end, Rebecca Nunn, teacher at Chestnut Grove added: “The event made the justice system very real.”

Inside Justice Week also encourages people in the community to get involved as magistrates and volunteers for the witness service and works with residents to identify areas where community service orders could be implemented.

Burntwood School teacher Judy Sungs said: “It was a fantastic experience. The students got a lot out of it. It was extremely worthwhile and informative.”

Teachers who are interested in getting involved next year should call 020 7921 2095.

• Get the latest crime figures in our Local Information section