The Modern Judiciary: Who They Are, What They Do and Why it Matters Course - King's College London

General

2 locations available
Read more about this program on the institution's website

Program Description

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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.

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.

What topics will you cover?

  • An Introduction to the legal system of the United Kingdom.
  • Common-Law reasoning.
  • Judges in Courts and Tribunals.
  • The daily business of judging.
  • Who are the judges? (Diversity in the judiciary).
  • Judges and the Media.

When would you like to start?

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts.

  • Available now

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 the recent decision of your chosen court.
  • Evaluate the effect of reforms in respect of the 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.

Who will you learn with?

James Lee

I am an academic at The Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College London. I teach private law subjects and I write about how judges make decisions.

Who developed the course?

King's College London

King’s College London, established in 1829 and a founding college of the University of London, is one of the world’s leading research and teaching universities, based in the very heart of London.

The Judiciary of England and Wales

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  • Access to this course for 7 weeks

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  • Access to this course for as long as it’s on FutureLearn
  • Access to this course’s tests as well as a print and digital Certificate of Achievement once you’re eligible

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  • Access to this course, and hundreds of other FutureLearn short courses and tests for a year
  • A printable digital Certificate of Achievement on all short courses once you’re eligible
  • The freedom to keep access to any course you've achieved a digital Certificate of Achievement on, for as long as the course exists on FutureLearn
  • The flexibility to complete your choice of short courses in your own time within the year
Last updated Sep 2020

About the School

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