FutureLearn

The Modern Judiciary: Who They Are, What They Do and Why it Matters (FutureLearn)

Offered by King's College London, The Judiciary of England and Wales,

Explore the role of judges in the UK and learn about the daily business of judging, from common law to judicial diversity. Who are judges, what do they do, and why does it matter? From criminal trials to Brexit, judges in courts and tribunals across the country make decisions that affect our daily lives everyday, but their role isn’t always understood.

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On this course, you’ll be introduced to the role of judges in the legal system of England and Wales through an array of articles, cases and interviews with judges.
You’ll explore how judgement works and engage with the work of the judiciary through the study of a recent decision of your chosen court. You’ll also consider how judges are portrayed in the media and learn how working practices have evolved over time.

Syllabus

Week 1: Judges and the Legal System
Week 2: Judges and Legal Reasoning
Week 3:cJudging in Courts and Tribunals
Week 4: Judges beyond the Court Room
Week 5: Judges, the Media and the Public

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Describe the role of the judiciary in the legal system of England & Wales, and the United Kingdom.
Explain how judges reason when deciding cases, both in trials and hearings, and on appeal.
Explain the working practices of the judiciary have evolved over time.
Summarise a recent decision of your chosen court.
Evaluate a recent decision of your chosen court.

-Evaluate the effect of reforms in respect of diversity of the judiciary.
-Evaluate the portrayals of the judiciary in the media (both news reports and in fiction).

Who is the course for?
This course is designed primarily for young people interested in studying law.
The course will also be of interest to those at the beginning of their undergraduate law degrees as part of an Introduction to the English (& Welsh) Legal System course or module, and for non-Law university students interested in pursuing a career in the law.
There are no prerequisites for this course and anyone with an interest in the legal system of England and Wales would enjoy this course.

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