Knife crime on trial at the Royal Courts of Justice
November 06, 2008
BPP Law Students Participate in Mock Trial as Part of National Pro Bono Week
Demonstrating the repercussions of knife crime to young people, BPP Law students will be presenting a series of mock trials as part of National Pro Bono Week, a campaign to celebrate the extensive range and impact of pro bono services offered by lawyers, held November 10th – 17th.
Held at the Royal Courts of Justice, the trials will be proceeded by a series of short addresses from the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland QC, Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and President of the Institute of Legal Executives.
The mock trials will examine the court proceedings around a non fatal stabbing case, among youths. The jury will be comprised of young people from The Behaviour Support Service Resource Base in the London Borough of Camden, who have been isolated from normal schools due to their anti-social behaviour. The display hopes to put off observers from participating in violent crime, test students’ advocacy skills and encourage them to continue pro bono work throughout their career.
BPP’s Pro Bono Centre encourages students to become involved with its extensive range of pro bono activities, including a Legal Advice Clinic, Environmental Law Group and Streetlaw, a youth programme. BPP believes this helps students gain experience during their studies and encourages a career-long interest in giving back to the community.
Kara Irwin, Director of BPP’s Pro Bono Centre, said, “Pro bono programmes often work at society’s margins, dealing with some of the law’s most topical issues and helping those who cannot afford but often desperately need legal services. Being involved with pro bono programmes is a way for law students to bring theory to life, and start a career of giving back to the community.”
The Chairman of the Bar, Tim Dutton QC, said, “Pro bono is another way in which lawyers make a contribution to the communities in which they live and work. Voluntary sector organisations provide an invaluable service to those in need, I am glad that so many lawyers are able to contribute their time to these organisations’ successes. We should however bear in mind that pro bono can only ever operate as an adjunct to, and not replacement for, a properly funded legal aid scheme. Without public funding it would be impossible for the vast majority of specialist providers to offer any pro bono advice at all and this would have tragic knock-on effects for those in the most dire need. This week however is about encouraging participation and I urge all lawyers, whatever their level of experience, to make the effort to involve themselves in pro bono work. Every little helps, and the work can be challenging and hugely rewarding.”
Ends
Notes to editors
Event details: Journalists are invited to the National Pro Bono Week launch event from 08.00 hrs – 09.45hrs on November 10th in the Lord Chief Justice’s Court, court room no.4, at the Royal Courts of Justice and must confirm their attendance by Thursday 6 November. The Royal Courts of Justice are located at The Strand, London WC2A 2LL.
The mock trial script was prepared by the National Centre for Citizenship & the law [NCCL], and acted out by students from BPP Law School.
BPP College of Professional Studies
BPP College of Professional Studies (“BPP College”), which comprises BPP Business School and BPP Law School, is the first private sector, public owned company to be granted degree awarding powers by the Privy Council. BPP College delivers business and law programmes across four campuses, Leeds, London (Holborn and Waterloo) and Manchester and has more than 5,500 students. For more information about BPP College please visit www.bppuc.com.