Overview
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity or as an extension activity as part of a mock trial competition.
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Chicken Soup
In this lesson pupils will read a tale adapted from Jewish folklore that explores the theme of sharing. Pupils will reflect on the behaviour of the characters and consider how…
Climate Action: Using the Law to Drive Change
In 2021, COP26 was hosted in Glasgow. It was seen as a pivotal moment in tackling the global climate...
What is Tax?
During this lesson, students will look at the purpose and collection of taxes. They will explore how public services...
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Citizenship: a privilege or a right?
Students research what the law says about the rights of individuals to become UK citizens and critically examine whether...
What Happens When Rules are Broken?
Pupils consider what happens when rules are broken. They explore what consequences are, how we can ensure that consequences are fair and what information someone might need to have before…
Conflicting Rights
In this lesson pupils will revisit their knowledge of human rights to consider situations in which people’s rights may appear in conflict with one another. Pupils will debate how they…
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Local and Central Government
This resource pack is the third of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Sentencing Guidelines (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson asks students to consider the key findings of a harassment trial and conclude what sentence should be given to the guilty party. During the course of the lesson…
Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition 2025/26: Preparation Resources (England, Wales, Northern Ireland)
School Guide – This guide contains all of the information to support the lead teacher and support teachers in preparing for the competition. Student Guides – Each student guide contains an…
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Who’s to Blame? (SmartLaw Subscription)
This activity is based on the case of R v. Dudley and Stephens (1884) – two sailors accused of murdering cabin boy Richard Parker, after being cast adrift on the…
Tackling Discrimination (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson asks students to explore whether or not we have a moral or legal obligation to tackle discrimination when we see it. It can be delivered as a stand-alone…
Filter Bubbles: Tell Me What I Want To Hear
A “filter bubble” describes how algorithms limit and skew the information users see on the internet. In this lesson,...
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Economic Cycles
This free classroom resource explores what economic cycles are and how they impact our lives. Aimed at KS4 and...
How to share learning with your peers
Originally designed to be a companion pack for the Democracy Ambassadors programme, this handy toolkit will support students who...
What is Democracy?
This resource pack is the first of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...