DirectgovKids

Kids' Court

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what it's like inside a law court? In the Kid's Court activity, you'll find out! You'll learn about the different people that work in a law court. You'll also help the judge to try a number of children who've been accused of misbehaving!

Definitions

  • A judge: A judge is the most important person in a law court. Judges listen to all the facts in a trial. If there is a guilty verdict, judges decide how the criminal should be punished.
  • The accused: The accused is the person on trial.
  • The prosecution: The prosecution is the person who tries to show that the accused has broken the law and is guilty of a crime.
  • The defence: The defence represents the person on trial. If the person on trial says they are innocent, the defence tries to show that they did not do what they are accused of doing. If the person on trial says they are guilty, the defence tries to show there was a good reason for their actions.
  • Evidence: Evidence is all the information that is put before the people in a law court. This could be a letter, a piece of clothing, a fingerprint, a photograph or anything else that shows that someone is guilty or innocent of a crime.
  • Verdict: A verdict is the decision at the end of the trial. It can be guilty or not guilty.
  • Guilty: The accused is guilty when the court decides that he or she has broken the law.
  • Innocent: The accused is innocent when the court decides that he or she hasn't done anything wrong.

Kids' Court

Children are sometimes naughty too. It can be hard to decide how to punish children when they misbehave. Sometimes you end up punishing a child who didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes you can punish a child too harshly or too leniently. You have to make sure you listen to all sides of the story.

Imagine you are in charge of a court. Now imagine that the children appearing before your court have all been accused of being naughty. Can you decide whether they are innocent or guilty? Can you decide on a fair punishment? Here are some example cases:

The first case: Gary Smith, age 8

Gary Smith has been accused of drawing graffiti on the boys' toilets. The prosecution shows you CCTV footage of Gary at the scene of the crime, standing next to the graffiti in the toilets. The defence then says that Gary went into the toilets to wipe the graffiti off. The defence rewinds the CCTV footage and shows Gary going through the toilet door holding a cloth and some cleaner. So is Gary innocent or guilty? Why? If he is guilty, how would you punish him?

The second case: Tom Atkinson, age 10

Tom Atkinson has been accused of cheating in a test. The prosecution shows you CCTV footage of the boy looking over his friends' shoulder in a test and copying what he sees. The defence says that Tom is pleading guilty. But Tom would also like to explain himself. Tom explains that he only cheated because his school bag was stolen. Other people normally copy his work and he never complains. So Tom has pleaded guilty, but how would you punish him? Would you make him do the test again? Or maybe give him 0/10 for the test?

The third case: Louise Church, age 6

Louise Church has been accused of pushing into the school dinner queue. The prosecution shows CCTV footage of Louise shoving into the front of the queue. However the defence says that Louise was pushed into the queue by someone else. The defence rewinds the CCTV footage to show a bigger child shoving Louise in the back. So is it Louise's fault? Would you punish her or let her go?

The fourth case: Tina Mistry, age 11

Tina Mistry has been accused of stealing a doughnut from the school kitchen. The prosecution shows CCTV footage of Tina sneaking into the kitchen and running off with a doughnut. The dinner lady turns round and catches Tina in the act. The defence then says that Tina admits she is guilty but would like the chance to explain her actions. Tina says that she spent all her lunch money on the way to school and was too hungry to last till home time. So is Tina innocent or guilty? If she is guilty, how should she be punished?

The fifth case: Nicholas Berbatov, age 7

Nicholas Berbatov has been accused of picking on a younger child outside the school toilets. The prosecution shows CCTV footage of Nicholas bullying a younger child and stealing his pencil case. The defence says that Nicholas is pleading guilty, but would like the chance to explain himself. Nicholas says that he was just running down the corridor and the younger boy was in his way. He didn't even want his pencil case. So Nicholas has clearly been naughty. But how should he be punished? Would you give him a detention? Or exclude him from school?

Role Play

So you can see that it's quite difficult being a judge. Why not think of your own cases? You could role play the game with your friends. Take turns being the judge, the accused, the prosecution and the defence. Some more example crimes might be:

  • borrowing your friend's Playstation and refusing to give it back
  • refusing to tidy your room when your parents ask
  • pretending to be ill so you don't have to go to school
  • accidentally breaking a window with your football
  • deliberately jumping in a muddy puddle and getting your clothes dirty

Remember that, if you are the judge, it is important to be fair. If you are too harsh, people get annoyed and behave even worse than before. If you are too lenient, people think they can get away with anything and continue being naughty.

Key Questions

Finally, think about the following questions:

  • Why is being naughty unfair on the children around you?
  • Why should naughty children be allowed to put their side of the story?
  • Why is it important to give out the right punishment?
  • How do you feel when you are punished too harshly?
  • How do you feel when you do something naughty and you aren't punished at all?

Where would you like to go next?