Which legal professionals support our rights in criminal courts?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how legal professionals represent citizens and ensure their legal rights are met.
Key learning points
- Judges protect legal rights by applying the law, ensuring fairness and advising on appropriate sentencing.
- Legal Executives assist in case prep, ensuring accessibility to legal services in specific law areas.
- Solicitors provide legal advice, prepare cases, and represent clients in legal matters.
- Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, defending clients or prosecuting cases in Crown Court.
- Legal professionals uphold our rights, ensuring justice is served through fair legal representation.
Keywords
Criminal court - courts that deal with individuals who have been accused of breaking the law
Judiciary - the branch of the state responsible for enforcing the law. It is composed of judges and other legal officials
Legal executive - legal specialists employed by solicitors who handle case preparation
Solicitor - a legal professional who gives advice, prepares cases, and represents clients in magistrates’ courts
Barrister - presents cases in crown court and higher courts, representing defendants or the state
Common misconception
That solicitors only work in the community and it is just barristers that work on criminal cases that end up in the court room.
Solicitors prepare the criminal case and advise the defendant prior to the case going to court, they appoint the barristers to represent their client (the defendant) in court.
Teacher tip
There are a range of educational and age appropriatte videos readily available online that provide a tour of the crown court. This can be sueful for students as they are then able to visualise the different roles and where they stand.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The legal authority given to police to maintain order, prevent crime and protect the public are known as what?
Q2.The verb to make sure laws or rules are followed is what?
Q3.Police officers follow a code of practice which promotes what type of policing?
Q4.Match the start of the police role/responsibility to the correct end
search
order
public
arrest
seizure
Q5.What is the legal document the police will use to gain access to a property?
Q6.If a citizen is arrested, they have the right to remain what?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In which order would a defendant communicate with these legal professionals?
Q2.The branch of the state responsible for enforcing the law, composed of judges and other legal officials is the what?
Q3.Which is not an example of how judges work to ensure citizens' legal rights are met?
Q4.In a crown court, who decides if the defendant is guilty or not guilty?
Q5.Who support solicitors and barristers by preparing legal cases?
Q6.If a suspect cannot afford a solicitor, or does not have their own solicitor, they can be provided with what?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: Which legal professionals support our rights in criminal courts?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: Which legal professionals support our rights in criminal courts?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the Does our legal system protect citizens' rights? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.