Law students have their say on sentencing - Let Me Be The Judge!

Students studying A Level Law and also the Extended Degree in Social Policy took the law into their own hands at an event entitled 'Let me be the Judge', which was held at the college as part of Inside Justice Season.

At the event, held in the Alan Ayckbourn Theatre, the most senior Crown Court Judge presided over some cases and sentenced scenarios with a senior crown prosecutor and defence solicitor present. Our students were able to vote on the sentences handed down.

Alan Mitcheson a Crown Prosecution Service Higher Court Advocate presented a number of fictional cases to his Honour Judge Ashurst, the resident Judge for York Crown Court. Colin Byrne of Howard and Byrne Solicitors in York provided mitigation for the fictional cases.

The interactive event involved our students in using handsets similar to those featured on quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which enabled them to vote for which sentence they thought the defendant should receive, before the judge revealed the actual sentence given.

Said Claire Kirkton, Law tutor: "This event provided a wonderful opportunity for our students to play an active role in the workings of the criminal justice system. The individual cases provoked some intelligent questioning and sparked some interesting debates in the classroom."

Press Release: 14/10/09