The Royal Courts of Justice has offered our Students and Members a 30% discount on its tours. Visiting the RCJ is a wonderful experience where Students’ course material comes to life and they can get an inside look at a real-life working courtroom. Students and Members will also have the opportunity to join the RCJ’s new Half-Day Legal London tour when places are offered to us. This is a legal walking tour which combines a tour of inside the fabulous Royal Courts of Justice with a walk through some of London’s beautiful Inns of Court. Please keep an eye on our Legal Secretary Blog for available dates over the coming months.
In previous years, ILSPA Patron, Amanda Hamilton, provided a tour of the RCJ to our Students before taking a step back from that side of her work. We are delighted that our Students will have the chance to visit the Courts again at a reduced cost.
Visiting the Courts has always been one of the highlights of our Students’ learning experience. Based in Westminster, standing alongside some of the most prominent buildings in England, this truly British institution houses both the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. With its awe-inspiring architecture, rich history and cultural significance, it is well worth the trip!
Being one of the largest courts in Europe, with a total of 86 courts and 3.5 miles of corridors, there is much to see. Led by one of the Court’s incredibly knowledgeable tour guides, many with a judicial background, you will be taken through the numerous rooms whilst hearing about the how the structure of the law and courts system has developed through time and how it is practiced today. There are also many displays and exhibits on offer, ranging from seeing documents from some of the Court’s most infamous cases, the notorious Guy Fawkes being one of them, to seeing historical robes worn by past and present Lawyers and Barristers. If you are lucky, and availability allows, there is also the opportunity to see a live court case in action. These can range from criminal to civil appeals and even High Court cases, and always make for a deeply interesting, one-of-a-kind experience.
The Courts have wonderful reviews on Tripadvisor, with many citing what an enjoyable and informative experience it was. For our own Students, it has even more relevance due to their studies. One of our past Students, Anna Beaf, commented: “The tour of the Royal Courts of Justice was the perfect supplement to the course materials and put the Court’s history and protocol into context.”
The next available tours commence on Thursday 14 September and last for just over an hour. You can book online by following this link: https://theroyalcourtsofjustice.com/book-a-tour/. To take advantage of your special discount, please quote 'Institute Discount' in the comments section.