I am sure that you have been in a situation where you have heard the sentence for an offence and wondered how on earth the judge or magistrate came to that conclusion. Well now you have the chance to put yourself in the judge’s or magistrates’ seat and make decisions on real life cases.

“You be the Judge” is the Sentencing Council’s new interactive website, and it has just gone live.

The website states “You be the Judge, which is supported by the Judiciary of England and Wales, gives you the opportunity to watch six shortened, dramatized cases related to burglary, fraud, assault, and possession of drugs, a knife, and a firearm. You can listen to the facts of each case as they relate to the offence and the offender and weigh up the aggravating and mitigating factors before deciding what you think is an appropriate sentence. You can then see how your sentence compares with the one handed down by the judge or magistrates”.

Launching the new website, Chairman of the Sentencing Council, Lord Justice William Davis, said: “You be the Judge gives the public an unique opportunity to see for themselves how complex the sentencing process is and how sentencing guidelines help judges and magistrates take a consistent approach. Watching the scenarios, people will be able to see how judges and magistrates balance the seriousness of the offence, the impact on the victim, the circumstances of the offender and the need to protect the public in deciding on a proportionate and appropriate sentence.”

Browsing the Sentencing Council website (https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk) is a real eye opener with sections including Offences; Overarching Guidelines and Supplementary Information for both Magistrates and Crown Court. Delving into the legal text shows that the five years that it takes to become a barrister (three years for your law degree, one year for a Bar course and a one-year pupillage in chambers) are well earned.

The “You be the Judge” can be found at https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/research-and-resources/you-be-the-judge/

The choices of cases to take part in are

  • Fraud
  • Possession with intent to supply class A drug
  • Possession of a bladed article
  • Robbery
  • Assault on an emergency worker
  • Possession of a firearm