Hello, I'm Mrs. Barry and I'll be your Citizenship teacher today.

We've got a really exciting lesson to look at together on the criminal justice system, and some of this learning might be new, but that's okay, because we're here to work together to achieve our outcome by the end.

So let's make a start.

Today's lesson comes in the unit, "What are the strengths and weaknesses of the legal system?" And this lesson is called, "How Does the Law Apply to Young People?" Today's outcome that we're going to achieve is to be able to describe how the law applies to young people and evaluate its effectiveness.

So for today's lesson, we need to bear in mind the ground rules.

Laura reminds us to, "Listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

When disagreeing, challenge the statement, not the person." Andeep reminds us to, "Respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but do not use names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves." Izzy reminds us to, "Choose the level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or join discussion.

We never put anyone on the spot." Jacob, remind us not to judge, so, "No judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings without a topic, without fear of being judged." So there's a range of keywords that we need to bear in mind for today's lesson.

So let's have a look at these together.

Justice, which means fairness as a result of the application of a law, usually by a judge, in society.

Law, which means rules usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves.

Campaign, which are actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim.

Today's lesson on, "How does the law apply to young people," takes three parts.

So we've got how does the justice system impact young people? How can we voice our views on the law in the UK and how effective is the legal system? So we're going to make a start with, how does the justice system impact young people? The UK justice system has an impact on every person within the UK, and this includes young people.

The main role of the justice system is to maintain order, ensure public safety, and ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.

Young people are treated differently within the justice system to adults.

There are several differences in the way the justice system treats young people and adults.

Can you think of any? So you might have thought about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the age of criminal responsibility, the youth justice system, more lenient sentencing and safeguarding.

So all of these different things are different, in the sense that young people have different rights and offerings to them within the sentencing system than adults do.

The UNCRC helps young people in the justice system by ensuring they're treated fairly, protected from harm and given the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

This helps young people understand the consequences of their actions and gives 'em a better chance to grow into responsible adults.

Youth courts allow young people to be safeguarded and aim to prevent re-offending.

Youth courts focus on balancing punishment with rehabilitation.

The magistrates and district judges who work in youth courts are specially trained to handle cases involving children.

Youth courts use less formal proceedings and simpler language.

When offenders are found guilty, the system tries to avoid prison and instead uses punishments like fines, referral and rehabilitation orders.

So let's have a quick check of what we've got so far.

So which of these specifically protects the rights of young people? Is it, a, the youth court, b, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, or UNCRC or c, justice system? So well done.

If you remembered, it was the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that specifically protects the rights of young people.

In the justice system, the police have a direct role with offenders, including young offenders.

However, their role is broader than this, as they also have various responsibilities that affect all young people, not just offenders.

The police may be involved with young people through community policing, youth outreach programmes, youth engagement in schools, and safeguarding.

So let's have a look at community policing.

Police officers often work closely with local communities, including schools, youth clubs, and other places where young people spend time.

This helps 'em build trust and relationships with young people, before any problems arise.

Officers may visit schools to talk about staying safe and the consequences of breaking the law.

So here we have youth outreach programmes and the police run special programmes to connect with young people such as youth diversion schemes.

These programmes try to keep young people out of trouble by offering support, activities, and guidance rather than focusing only on punishment.

Youth engagement in schools.

So I look at this one.

So police officers sometimes visit schools to talk to peoples about topics like bullying, drugs or internet safety.

They might also run educational talks about how the law works and why it's important to follow rules.

And lastly on that list that we had is safeguarding.

The police play a key role in keeping young people safe by preventing crime and protecting them from harm, including things like bullying and abuse.

They collaborate with schools to promote safety and offer support if someone is in danger.

If a young person is at risk or in trouble, the police ensure they receive the appropriate help.

So let's have a think about those bits we just talked about.

Which of these are ways the police help young people? Is it, a, safeguarding, b, punishing young people, c, youth engagement, or d, community policing? Just remember here that the question asks you to look at the ways in which the police help young people.

Okay, well done if you spotted that there are several answers here.

So you could have had a, safeguarding, c, youth engagement and d, community policing, and they are ways that the police help young people.

Yes, they're part of the system that does punish young people if they've committed a crime.

But in terms of helping, those are the ways that we were looking for.

So the police play a significant role in the justice system.

A much of their work is related to young people.

What I'd like you to do to practise what we've learned is to create a mind map, which indicates some of the things the police do and how this impacts young people.

Try and get as many ideas as you can and add some detail where possible.

Okay, well done for giving that a go.

And you can see here, an example of what I did, in answer to that task that I gave you.

So create a mind map, which indicates some of the things the police do and how this impacts young people.

So we've got the police officer in the middle and there were four key things that we said police do.

So from each area that the police impact young people, I've also added a bit of detail.

So let's have a look at what I put and you can see if it's similar to what you did.

So starting at the top left there, we've got safeguarding and that is where they're protecting young people.

At the top right, we've got youth outreach programmes, and that's where they offer support, activities and guidance.

And then on the bottom right, if we're going clockwise, youth engagement schemes, and that's where they're educating young people about the justice system.

And then round to the bottom left there, community policing, and that's where they're building trust and relationships with young people.

So well done if that's what you got.

Okay, so part two of our lesson is about, how can we voice our views on the law in the UK.

There are three aims and values of the legal system.

So the aims are to maintain order, protect rights and freedoms, and deliver justice while the values are independence, impartiality, and integrity.

And despite these aims, some argue that the system could be improved.

So aims are there and values are there to ensure that a system works well.

And some people dispute that and say that there are improvements that could be made.

In the UK, all citizens, including young people, have the right to express their opinions on laws and related issues and work towards creating change.

Young people have several ways to express their opinions on the justice system in the UK, just like any other issue that affects them, what methods could be used to make change happen? I'll let you have a moment just to think about that.

Okay, so the methods might include, putting together a petition, speaking to your representative, advocacy, which means to represent someone or something, or campaigning.

So one way in which you can get your voice heard on issues around the law in the UK is through the UK Youth Parliament or UKYP.

This is a group of young people who represent the views and concerns of young people across the UK.

The UK Youth Parliament members debate and vote on issues that matter to young people.

Young people aged 11 to 18 can stand to be a member or can support or participate in campaigns, the UK Youth Parliament are running.

We're gonna have a look at an example of a campaign that has effectively made change happen around the law.

The #CutTheCost campaign is an example of young people voicing their views and advocating for changes to the law.

It was started by young people to address the high cost of school uniforms, particularly branded items with school logos, which can be financially challenging for families.

The #CutTheCost campaign used three main methods to create change.

They used petitions to demonstrate public support for the cause.

They use social media to raise awareness and engage more people, and they contacted decision makers like Members of Parliament or MPS, to directly ask for changes in policy.

These strategies helped amplify or make bigger the campaign and increase its impact.

So let's have a look at what changed the #CutTheCost campaign created.

And so here we have a timeline and you can see they started in 2015 where the government promised to cut cost of uniform but did not, and research was completed about the costs.

So that identified an issue for the campaign group to focus on.

Charities and advocacy groups pushed for affordable uniform policies, arguing high cost increase educational inequality in 2019.

So by then the #CutTheCost campaign had got other people on board and were raising awareness of this issue.

In 2020, an MP introduced a new bill to make schools prioritise cost when they set their uniform policies.

So here they've got change maker who is able to introduce change, putting forward to parliament the ideas that the #CutTheCost campaign had.

In 2021, they achieved their goal and the bill became law.

So you can see here the process in which they went through to make change around the law.

So let's just check what we've got so far.

Is this true or false? Young people cannot have a say on the law in the UK as they're too young.

So that's false.

We've just gone through a range of ways in which they can do that.

So young people have a range of ways they can voice change, they can do things such as get involved in the UK Youth Parliament, create or sign petitions, campaign or speak to their representatives such as an MP.

Well done if you got that right.

Think about the #CutTheCost campaign we just looked at.

Did the #CutTheCost campaign achieve a change in the law? So, yes, they did.

In 2021, a new law was introduced to make schools prioritise costs when they set their uniform policies.

Well done if you remembered that.

Let's practise what we've learned.

So consider this viewpoint.

What advice would you give to this young person and what options they have to make change happen? I'm really frustrated with how the UK handles issues like bullying in schools.

I don't think enough is being done to stop it.

And we need stronger laws to protect pupils and make schools safer.

So make a list.

What options do they have? What advice would you give them? Pause the video and when you're done, you can come back and we can have a look at what we might have put together.

Okay, so you were giving advice to a young person on what options they have to make change happen.

And you could have said any of these things.

So we've got get involved with the UK Youth Parliament, start a petition, speak to their representatives, find an existing campaign group, or create one and educate others on the issue of bullying.

Well done if you've got some or all of those.

Now, we're onto the last part of today's lesson and that is about how effective is the legal system.

The UK legal system is like the rules and referees in a big game of life.

It helps make sure everyone follows the rules, treats people fairly and solves problems when things go wrong.

It works well in some ways, but has some problems too.

There are a range of different ways people can evaluate the legal system and how effective it is.

To consider how effective the legal system is, a deliberative discussion can be held.

During a deliberative discussion, we take time to consider different viewpoints and weigh all the relevant information.

And this can be done in four steps.

So firstly, we've got the rationale, which is a short statement to summarise your overall argument.

Secondly, you give examples, a statistic, case study or story that supports your argument.

And thirdly, we've got analysis, and that's the explanation of your viewpoint to make it really clear.

And then lastly, you want to make a link.

So a link back to the rationale and your closing words.

So you're preparing to have a deliberative discussion based on the following question.

Is the legal system effective? Consider the arguments you might use to suggest that the UK legal system is effective.

Then think about why the legal system is not effective.

So you want both sides of the argument to be able to do this.

So here we've got some of the arguments for us to look at.

So firstly, the legal system is effective.

The system tries to treat everyone the same, whether you are rich, poor, young, or old.

However, on the other side, you might say the legal system is not effective.

Sometimes cases take a really long time to get solved.

Imagine waiting years for a problem to be fixed.

Here's some further arguments.

So one to say the legal system is effective, the law changes when new problems come up, like cyber bullying or keeping people safe online.

However, the legal system is not effective.

Lawyers can be expensive and some people don't have enough money to pay for one.

This can make it hard for people to receive a fair chance.

Now with that, we need to bear in mind actually that there is legal aid.

And legal aid provides free or affordable legal help if they cannot afford a lawyer.

Legal aid ensures that everyone is treated fairly by the law.

People with a low income, children, or those facing certain circumstances may be eligible for legal aid, but that's not for everyone.

So it is still the case that lawyers can be expensive.

So let's have a think about those arguments we just looked at, in preparation for our deliberative debate.

Which of these suggests the legal system is effective? Is it, a, courts help sort out issues you have with others, b, hiring a personal lawyer can be very expensive, or c, the legal system treats people equally? Well done if you said that courts help sort out issues you have with others as a reason for the legal system being effective.

Another one you could have, was the legal system treats people equally.

So we had two possible answers here, that show that the legal system is effective.

Which of these suggests that the legal system is not effective? Is it a, some people still re-offend after being in prison, b, complex cases can take a long time to solve, or c, the law changes when new problems come up? Okay, well done if you put that, some people still re-offend after being in prison, and complex cases can take a long time to solve.

Both of these reasons suggest that the legal system is not effective.

So let's practise this deliberative debate.

We've prepared.

We've had a look at some arguments and now it's over to you to prepare for each element of a deliberative discussion on the question, is the legal system effective? So firstly, you need to put together your rationale.

So that's a short statement to summarise your overall argument in response to, is the legal system effective? Secondly, can you think of some examples to back this up? So a statistic, case study or story that supports your rationale or argument.

Then you need to analyse it, so you develop it and it's an explanation of your viewpoint to make it really clear.

And lastly, make sure it links back to the rationale in your closing words.

Give that a go.

And when you're ready, come back and we can have a look at what you might have done.

So this is just one way you could do it, it doesn't mean it's the only way, but it gives you some idea of what you should have done for this task.

And the task was to prepare for each element of a deliberative discussion on the question, is the legal system effective? So this is what you might have put together.

For the rationale, you might say the justice system works hard to treat people fairly and ensure their appropriate outcomes.

Where there are issues, the justice system tries to address them.

For the example, you might have used, the #CutTheCost campaign that was able to enact change in the law, showing that it's possible to improve the laws, currently in place, to meet the needs of a changing society.

You might have gone on to discuss, with your analysis, there are some examples of the legal system not being effective.

For instance, the cost of lawyers being expensive and inaccessible to some people.

However, importantly, there is support available through legal aid for those on low or no income, like children.

And then you could link this back to your rationale at the beginning, by saying, this shows that even points that suggest a legal system are ineffective, are tackled to meet the values of the justice system.

Really well done for giving that a go.

So in today's lesson, we've learned quite a few things and here's our summary on, how does the law apply to young people.

The law applies to young people by setting rules and protection specific to their age.

There are specific rights which protect young people and methods within the justice system to help guide them and keep them safe.

Young people can use a range of methods to challenge the law and make changes in relation to the law.

These methods include campaigning, advocacy, petitions, speaking to decision makers, and joining groups such as the UK Youth Parliament.

There are a range of arguments to suggest that the legal system is and is not effective with differing approaches to what might improve the system.