Teenagers – year 12 students from across the East Midlands became crime scene investigators, psychologists and lawyers at a Criminal Law Day at Nottingham Trent University in March.
The students were finding out how a crime is solved; from crime scene investigation through to psychological criminal profiling. Activities included a session in the University’s crime scene house and learning how to take fingerprints in the lab with the forensics team, followed by a taster session on criminal profiling from the School of Social Sciences.
They then brought together what they learnt in a mock trial run by Nottingham Law School, to give students the opportunity to witness defence and prosecution in action and enable them to decide whether the accused should be found guilty or walk free.
The event was organised by the University’s Schools, Colleges and Community Outreach team through its Partnership Scheme, which involves schools and colleges in the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire region. Over 200 students interested in studying for a degree in law or criminology applied for the event’s 34 places.
Mary Brittain, head of Schools, Colleges and Community Outreach, said: "Working closely with Nottingham Law School, we’ve created an event which aims to introduce students from our Partnership Scheme to studying law and crime-related subjects in an exciting and engaging way.
"Many students have said that all they know about law and solving crime is what they’ve seen on television shows such as CSI and Law and Order, and they want to know what it’s like in real life. This taster day will help them to understand more about studying these subjects at Nottingham Trent University and the career opportunities it could lead to."
