Press release: Will the Solicitor General find Goldilocks guilty?

The Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP will join BPP University Law School Students to help school children in Wimbledon today to decide whether Goldilocks is guilty of burgling the Three Bears.

Pupils at Bishop Gilpin primary school will take part in a mock trial of Goldilocks where they will decide whether Goldilocks should be found guilty and sent to prison for burglary and criminal damage.

The Streetlaw session, designed by BPP’s Pro Bono Centre, is aligned to the National Curriculum and explains the criminal trial process through the well-known fairytale, helping children learn about the legal system, courts and the people who appear in them in an interesting and enjoyable way.

The Solicitor General said:

Teaching children about their legal rights and responsibilities means they have a greater understanding of what they can and can’t do.

Public legal education helps raise confidence and skills and provides a legal foundation that stays with people throughout their lives.

These sessions not only have a practical and a beneficial effect upon our legal system but on young people’s lives. I’m looking forward to an enjoyable session.

Streetlaw is a national, public legal education project that is delivered by law students in universities across England and Wales. Students deliver interactive and engaging legal workshops that aim to educate community groups and school children about the law as it relates to them.

Victoria Speed, Director of Pro Bono at BPP University Law School, said:

Streetlaw is one of around thirty BPP pro bono projects delivering free legal advice and legal education across the country.

At BPP, we educate the next generation of lawyers. Our projects aim to improve access to justice and legal awareness in our communities.

At the same time, engaging in pro bono work really helps prepare students for practice as the real life experiences are invaluable.

“We hope to embed a sense of social responsibility in our students that stays with them throughout their careers.”

The Solicitor General will also visit the City of London University which has an extensive pro bono programme. He will meet law students who have been giving free legal advice – with guidance from qualified lawyers – to members of the public including victims of domestic violence

As part of the National Centre for Domestic Violence programme students are given full training to interview the clients over the phone and then fill in the necessary forms on line that would allow injunctions to be issued.

The Solicitor will also meet students taking part in the Centre for Criminal Appeals project which involves them reviewing miscarriage of justice cases and helping prepare them for submission to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.