Resources for home and classrooms – including lesson plans

Educational videos

Judiciary and the Rule of Law

Judiciary and the rule of law – YouTube

This short video for young people gives an overview of the Independent judicial system of England and Wales, illustrating its history from the Magna Carta to present day. It explains the separation of powers, the different types of courts/tribunals and busts some of the myths that surround being a judge (such as no judge has ever used a gavel!)

A message from Judge John Keith to secondary schools

Watch Upper Tribunal Judge John Keith deliver an informative presentation where he debunks stereotypes around judges’ identities, uses a case study to teach students about key judge responsibilities and offers valuable advice to those interested in a legal career.

Judge David Robinson speaks to primary schools

In this video District Judge David Robinson, who sits in the County and Family Court at Teesside, delivers an interactive presentation, designed to give primary schools an introduction to the concept of the rule of law.

Judges talking about their work:

To learn more about our judges, see the following pages:

Learn more about our judges – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Videos: Judges talk about their judicial careers

You can also visit our YouTube channel, where you will find a number of playlists, from ‘Diversity in the Judiciary’ to ‘Ask a Magistrate’: UK Judiciary – YouTube.

Resources from the judiciary

‘The judiciary: the basics’ handout (PDF)
‘How are sentences decided?’ handout (PDF)
A ‘student pack’ which includes: A-Z Glossary of Legal Teams, General Introduction, A career in the Courts, Victim Support, Probation Service (word document)
‘The Modern Judiciary: Who They Are, What They Do and Why it Matters’ – Online course in partnership with King’s College London (aimed at 16+ year olds)

Young Citizens

Young Citizens is an initiative of the Citizenship Foundation and are the UK’s leader in the field for public legal education for young people. Available on their website are lesson plans tailored to Key Stages which schools can use to facilitate active learning and immersive classroom debates. Examples include, ‘Climate Action – Using the Law to Drive Change’ and ‘An Introduction to Human Rights.’ To access this fantastic range of teaching resources for free, schools must simply subscribe or create an account. You can also find information about national competitions, such as the ‘Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial.’ 

The National Justice Museum

The National Justice Museum provide inspirational curriculum linked educational visits including programmes at the Royal Courts of Justice, The Rolls Building and Barkingside Magistrates’ Court. Through initiatives for Key Stages 1-5 they use real life events to educate young people about the law and justice. To enquire, schools must simply submit a short form.

The Bingham Centre

The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law was named after Tom Bingham d 2010 (The Rt Hon Lord Bingham of Cornhill KG) who promoted the maintenance, development and promotion of the rule of law. Lord Bingham was a former Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and Senior Law Lord of the United Kingdom. The charity seeks to provide an intellectual framework to define and implement the rule of law as a universal and practical concept, highlight threats to the rule of law, produce high quality studies and training on rule of law issues, and demonstrate how the rule of law upholds respect for human dignity and enhances economic development and political stability. They have resource packs available introducing the rule of law within the context of the citizenship curriculum and a range of resources available.

Funded by the Sybil Shine Memorial Trust, the Public and Youth Engagement programme aims to unite public legal education and active citizenship by developing young people’s legal capability through a series of workshops. These workshops are run by our trained volunteers, ‘session leaders’ who are themselves, early-career legal professionals. For more information, click the link below or contact Michelle Kamya, Impact Coordinator at m.kamya@binghamcentre.biicl.org.

Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT)

ACT is the subject association for Citizenship representing teachers and others involved in Citizenship education. It was founded in 2001 by Professor, Sir Bernard Crick and set up as a registered charity. Their mission is to support the teaching of high-quality Citizenship and to promote wider public understanding of the subject. They also promote research into the participation of young people in society. They have a range of materials available including high quality teaching materials such as their journal ‘Teaching Citizenship’.

Kids Law Podcast

‘Kids Law’ is hosted by 10-year-old Alma-Constance Denis-Smith, a schoolgirl with a passion for the law, with support from lawyer Lucinda Acland. In each episode the hosts talk to experts in the legal field about what children should know about the impact of law in their lives.

Resources for teachers

British Library
Teaching resources on Magna Carta
A range of resources for both primary and secondary school classrooms. You can filter by age, subject, and themes.

Sentencing Council
Information for teachers
Resources for teachers of KS3 and KS4 to help pupils understand how criminal sentencing works in England and Wales, including worksheets and infographics.

Young Citizens
Free teaching resources covering topics such as ‘Ethics, Innovation and the Law’, ‘Citizenship – a privilege or a right?’, and ‘The Law in Wales’.

Other resources

How much do judges earn?

Supreme Court Live Stream and Recordings: The highest court in the UK live streams its hearings and publishes handy case summaries.

Court of Appeal Live Streaming: Most cases from the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) are live-streamed on the judiciary’s YouTube channel.

The Professional Bodies:

If you wish to leave any feedback on this information, please email schools@judiciary.uk