A group of ten undergraduates, including visiting students from overseas, visited the Warwickshire Justice Centre to experience the atmosphere and daily practises in a Court.

The group was welcomed by a Court Clerk and given a tour of the different Courts before sittings began, and then attended in the Public Gallery. Students were later shown the police and holding cells.

Damia Taharraoui, a visiting student from Paris, says:

We had the opportunity to attend to hearings in the Magistrates and the Crown Court. It was interesting to see the setting, and the differences between both courts. We could visualize the position of the parties, judges and jury, which helps us understand the balance of power and the interactions between different parties in the court. We were able to see all the special measures that are put in place for vulnerable witnesses and for the accused. It all contributed to a deeper understanding of the process.

The court visit was very beneficial as it allowed us to see and understand the actual practice of law, it helped us get over some prejudices that we had about it. Indeed procedure has a more important place than we thought. All the morning hearings were procedural steps, lawyers introducing demands, jury selection and sentence decisions.

In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to listen to the testimony of a plaintiff, it showed us how emotionally difficult it can be go through a judiciary procedure. The plaintiff was allegedly a victim of rape, and she was telling her story with very explicit language and precise details, essential to the judgement.

We also had the chance to visit the court's cells. All the security measures that are put in place during the process and the architecture of the cells helped us understand the situation of the detainees and their difficult conditions.