How law works in the UK. The difference between criminal law (state vs individual; standard of proof “beyond reasonable doubt”) and civil law (individual vs individual; standard of proof “on the balance of probabilities”). Courts — magistrates, county, crown, high, supreme. Juries — the right to a jury trial for serious offences; jury service as a civic duty. Legal aid and access to justice. The role of solicitors, barristers, and advocates. Common-law and statutory rights.
What to do if arrested or charged — the right to silence, the right to a solicitor (free at the police station), the duty solicitor scheme. Knowing one’s rights at the most vulnerable moments of an encounter with the law.
For NEO’s cohort, who may include learners with care histories or who are at higher risk of police contact, this strand is genuinely protective. The pedagogy is informational and rights-based, not adversarial.
Tested by
Cross-curriculum
- Employability — Rights, responsibilities, and pay (employment law sits within civil law)
- Financial Literacy — Consumer rights (consumer law is part of civil law)
- Independent Living — Housing and home (housing law)
- RSHE — Relationships Education (Being Safe — recognising abuse, VAWG, coercive control all sit within criminal law)
Suggested evidence types
- Mock-trial roleplay or written response (criminal scenario)
- Comparison of three real news stories — one civil, one magistrates’ criminal, one crown criminal — showing how each is handled
- “Know your rights” card the learner produces for themselves — what to do at a police stop, what to say to a duty solicitor