Visiting a court for experience of seeing solicitor in action

[debbiew]

anyone know the rules about taking my son who wants to be lawyer to a court to see a trial? Debbie

[Aquagility]

Usually you can just walk in. But if it's a celebrity case the court may be full, so you will be turned away.
But be prepared to be bored to death after the first 20 minutes!

[Ethel]

Yes, he will be bored rigid - but any court is open to the public, unless it is 'in camera', usually because the case involves a child.

Just turn up at any court.

[happyjo]

Try your local magistrates court to start with. Introduce yourself to the court ushers and explain your situation. They may point you to a courtroom with plenty of different cases.

If you can spare a full day, get to your local crown court, look on the lists outside each courtroom and see which cases are being heard.

Be careful, I am in my last yr stuying law and in my first yr we had to attend court for experience. I was really shocked as I sat in on a rape trial of a 14 yr old girl.

Jo

[Peter Pedant]

Yeah turn up at court
and say you want to see a case

and be prepared for flunkeys and jobsworths at every turn to make up rules for this and that. At the Old Bailey in the seventies, I was told that Justice CockleCarrot (for it was he) didnt like people coming in and out of 'his' court whilst he was summing up. Public Justice - it all depends how mcuh money you have.

Oh, your local newspapers may maintain a corrupt contract with the local police to tip them off when a juicy case comes up in the Magistrates Court. so why dont you ring up your local bobby and ask.....

[fredpuli47]

A magistrates' court is the easiest introduction. The trials are short, perhaps a couple of hours, and are about simple everyday matters of no great gravity .They are more interesting for a first visit to a court.Depending on the court and the time of day, he'll see some pleas of guilty and some sentencing too.(Trials are listed after pleas of guilty, sentences, and other matters.In many courthouses there is more than the one court .In busy courts you may find that one court is doing trials only and other ones doing the rest of the business)What's more, the advocates are nearly always solicitors, not barristers. The ushers will guide you on which court is doing what.

A Crown court trial will run for a day and a half at the shortest. Typically they run for at least two or three full days .So your son won't see a complete trial, unless he thinks of a trial as like a Test Match and can sit, as there, for up to five days for a result, if any! A lot of trials run for a lot more than that. What he may well see though is the whole of a witness' evidence from start to finish with cross examination and all.That can be interesting in itself. The ushers can direct you to what is going on where.(The staff at the Old Bailey have a tradition of telling visitors which scandalous bit of action is going on in which court, and directing them accordingly .Never did all of them do this, just some, but there's no reason to believe that this noble tradition has died out .)

[ Peter Pedant: no judge likes distractions during summing up. At the Old Bailey it has been a standard instruction to the staff that nobody is to be allowed to enter the public galleries during the judge's summing up.That's how important that is.]

[Eve]

How old is you son? I'd take that into consideration with what you go and see. I'd agree with the boredom factor mentioned above.

When I was at law school I used to go and watch bail applications in the magistrates court - put me off practicing criminal law for life mind and now a property lawyer.

A good way to see is to get into a law firm, many firms have office juniors who do photocopying and such but a good way to meet people and can be a good way to see what things are all about and make some good contacts.

If he's at school then he could offer to go in free during the holidays to help out and learn more.

If he's older then there are usually a lot of junior opportunities in areas like residential conveyancing.

[Annlinda]

Under 14years old and he will not be allowed in court.

[SARSFIELD]

At the Old Bailey you must be at least 14 years old , have no cameras , large bags , mobile phones to get into the public galleries.
The staff DO NOT make the rules as they go along , the politicaians and law makers do.
Any form of disruption to the proceedings will get you a warning or ejected without any warning.
Galleries open at 10 am and close for lunch at 1 pm , re-open at 2pm and close appro 4 / 4.30 pm..Mon.-Fri.
Go to www.the-old-bailey.spaces.live.com for an UNOFFICIAL site about the Old Bailey and its history.

Summer-time has the galleries always full due to the ammount of tourists , so queue up early.
There is a passageway in Old Bailey ( that's the name of the street where the Central Criminal Court is located to give it its formal title ) next to the front of the building....that is the main entrance for the galleries for courts 5-16.
Courts 1-4 have their gallery entrances in Newgate Street.( just around the corner ).
In some trials , depending how security sensetive they are , you might be asked to show proof of name and address before entering the court gallery involved.
If you get really involved in a case but can't see it everyday , you can get the case result from the List Office at the Old Bailey ( tele. 0207 248 3277 ) after the trial has finished.

Have fun !!