A JUDGE has invited members of the public and students from local schools to tour Reading Crown Court.

Judge Sarah Campbell, who sits at the court opposite Forbury Gardens, has invited people to visit the premises on Saturday, October 14 from 10am to 2.30pm.

The open day will include mock trials which are presided over by the judges who regularly sit at the court and the participants include barristers who regularly attend.

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Members of the public and students will have the opportunity to participate in the proceedings as members of the jury panel to hear the evidence and deliberate in private to determine their ‘verdict’ just as in a real trial.

Judge Campbell said: “In the years prior to the covid pandemic, Reading Crown Court successfully hosted three open days for members of the public and students from local schools to come and view the Crown Court and to speak to those who participate in the court service in the many different ways which are associated with the Criminal Justice System.

“The last open day in 2019 attracted 2,000 members of the public through the door and the success of Reading Crown Court’s open days has previously been mentioned by the Lord Chief Justice in his Annual Report to Parliament.

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“Many of the organisations who participated in previous years have kindly agreed to do so again for which I am very grateful.

“Their participation has been invaluable and of great interest to many members of the public who attended.

“It is designed to provide an opportunity for students, parents and members of the public to come and meet people who work in the legal system including judges, barristers, solicitors, barrister’s clerks, police officers, witness care and witness service, probation officers, prison officers and volunteers from many charities who deal with the effects of crime on families, all under one roof.”

Alongside the mock trials, there will be a tour of the cells and the prison vans, demonstrations on police dog handling and finger printing/forensic techniques.

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There will also be talks given by a Circuit Judge, a representative of the Berkshire Magistrates Association and the National Probation Service.

As in previous years, there will be an art competition for school students as well as an essay competition with the chance to win some marshalling with a judge at the court.