King's College London

The Dickson Poon School of Law and King’s College London and the Judiciary of England & Wales are for the first time launching an online course designed to explain the workings, purpose and the impact of the modern Judiciary to young people across the country.

The MOOC (Massive Online Open Course), has been developed by the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s Online and the Judiciary, and will be hosted on the FutureLearn platform.

‘The Modern Judiciary: Who they are, what they do and why it matters’, is primarily aimed at school leavers considering a career in law, however the course will be open and accessible to the general public free of charge.

Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice said: “I am very excited to be launching this course with King’s. It is vitally important that the public understands what a modern judge’s role is so that they can have confidence in the decisions they make. The work of the judiciary is often surrounded by myth based on an outdated view of judges and I hope that this course will be both interesting and informative.”

Intended to launch in January 2020, the course will last for four to five weeks with a commitment of just two to three hours a week necessary. Over this time participants will cover the work of the judiciary, examine judges’ portrayal in the media and learn how to understand judgments. The format will include a range of interactive content, including quizzes, mini-lectures, articles, case studies and interviews with judges from England & Wales. No previous legal knowledge is required to enrol.

James Lee, Reader in English Law and Vice-Dean (Education) for The Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Judiciary on this exciting project, building upon King’s long tradition of engagement with the Judiciary and professions.

"It is an opportunity to promote public understanding of the judge to a wide audience, incorporating a range of perspectives on the law. We are very grateful to the Lord Chief Justice, the steering group and the Judicial Office for their collaboration and for the involvement of many judges from across England and Wales in the project.”

If you would like to find out more about the course and register your interest, visit: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/the-modern-judiciary/1.