Public Legal Education
Public legal education provides people with awareness,
knowledge and understanding of rights and legal issues, together
with the confidence and skills they need to deal with disputes and
gain access to justice. Equally important, it helps people
recognise when they may need support, what sort of advice is
available, and how to go about getting it.
Citizenship became a required part of the curriculum in 2002.
The national curriculum for citizenship - at Key Stages 3 & 4
(ages 11 to 16) - aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of how the United
Kingdom is governed, its political system and how citizens
Participate actively in its democratic systems of government.
- Develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the role of law
and the justice system in our society and how laws are shaped and
enforced.
- Develop an interest in, and commitment to, participation in
volunteering as well as other forms of responsible activity, that
they will take with them into adulthood.
- Are equipped with the skills to think critically and debate
political questions, to enable them to manage their money on a
day-to-day basis, and plan for future financial needs.
What does the Bar Council do in this
area?
- The Bar Council has supported the Citizenship Foundation in
producing a set of teaching resources that enable students to
explore what it means to exercise their democratic rights and the
challenge behind 'triggering Article 50'. You can find these
resources
here - please enter the name of your chambers when prompted for
your school.
- The Bar Council supports the Citizenship Foundation which hosts
an annual Bar Mock Trials Competition, providing PLE to over 2000+
school students a year. Barristers also act as mentors to school
teams. This competition is celebrating its 25th anniversary this
year.
- Many chambers have their own arrangements for sending
barristers into schools to engage in PLE. The Bar Council supports
and assists these barristers and provides a matching service for
others who wish to give talks in schools about a career at the Bar
and the part that barristers play in the justice system. Find out
more
here.
- Bar Council sits on the Advisory Board of the new All Party
Parliamentary Group (APPG) for PLE and advised members about
PLE.
- Bar Council supports the Citizenship Foundation's PLE Quality
Mark. It is an accreditation system that ensures that PLE resources
are rigorously and independently assessed to ensure that they are
of the highest quality.
- Bar Council supports the Insititute of Ideas' national debating
competition which is run in over 300 schools. There are plenty of
opportunities for Barristers to judge these competitions.