CedarBridge Academy Students Learn The Law
A number of CedarBridge Academy students attended yesterday [Mar 20] morning’s Magistrates Court session as part of their studies, and watched as Senior Magistrate Archie Warner and various lawyers handled a variety of cases.
The group listened to a defence lawyer argue that her client should not receive a prison sentence for possessing offensive weapons. They saw that the 22-year-old-man was given an immediate prison sentence but escaped actually going to jail because the Magistrate suspended the jail sentence.
At the end of the Court session, Senior Magistrate Warner, defence lawyer Charles Richardson, Prosecutor Cindy Clarke, and legal assistant Eron Hill each explained their roles and the training and education that they had undergone.
Senior Magistrate Warner and another Magistrate will soon hold a symposium on legal matters at CedarBridge Academy so that students can further explore the law and its workings.
Excellent way to show these kids of what goes on in the court room. Excellent work who thought of this. I think this should be a yearly thing for all schools. I couldn’t see a better educational tool in real life focus scenario. Thank you to the lawyers who took out there time to do this. Well worth it.
That was good now let them visit West Gate and Co-Ed to see what the outcome is when your guilty.
This is good. I am glad that students are now getting hands-on experience on real life situations and exploring the workings of Law. Other schools should follow suit for the betterman of the youth and the community.
It’s good to see that we still report good news in Bermuda. Thank you to the magistrate and prosecutors for doing this for the kids. It’s good to see that young man Eron Hill so active amongst the youth; and to see Mr . Richardson take some time out of his schedule. KEEP IT UP
Wow. Brilliant idea. THANKS for posting good stuff bernews.
Bermuda clearly has serious structural problems and social inequities
its unbelievable that the first introduction these students have to Bermuda’s legal system is through criminal justice law and procedure
Bermuda is an insurance/reinsurance based economy priding itself on being the premier captive insurance jurisdiction in the world and the 2nd largest reinsurance market in terms of capitalization
it would seem to make more sense that there be an introduction to the corporate legal process surrounding the Registrar of Companies, the BMA, management companies, insurance arbitrators etc as these entities will ultimately have a greater bearing on the quality of their lives and will therefore be less of a mystery to them
unless however the suggestion being made here is that their future may involve some element of criminality and therefore knowledge of the criminal law will be a greater asset
Bermuda already has its fair share of criminals turned lawyer we don’t need anymore
So what. It doesnt matter. These children are getting exposure to real life situations. Theres so much they can take away from this such as what career path they might want to follow or even what its really like in a court room. I think this is a great idea.
Part of the Social Studies Curriculum is Law and Justice, hence the visit to the courts. Students have exposure to the insurance and reinsurance business…and guess what, some students may actually want to be lawyers, so what a better way to introduce them to it. Just because Bermuda is in the insurance business, does not mean everyone wants to be involved in it. Amazing how an educational trip can bring some negative response. Get a happy life and realize that it is not always about money, but about experiencing every aspect of life. And to utter such nonsense as to imply such a negative reason. I don’t get how someone can turn something positive into something so negative. That is what negative people do.
this is really the problem in Bermudians’ understanding of the Bermudian insurance/reinsurance market
there is a marked difference between having exposure to the business of insurance and reinsurance such as underwriting, broking etc and having exposure to the laws that regulate the industry
without the attorneys that incorporate the companies and the regulators that regulate them there is no resident insurance/reinsurance business to be had
its amazing that when people think of lawyers they seem to think of those who practice in criminal litigation or have some dealings with the courts
however out of the hundreds of attorneys currently practising at the Bermuda Bar only a small fraction practice criminal law
the vast majority are employed by the large firms that have a monopoly on the corporate/insurance legal business
clearly a monopoly doesn’t happen overnight and is clear evidence of the structural inequities that Craig Cannonier has voiced his concerns over
the great irony in Bermuda is that the larger and more dominant a business’ monopoly becomes the more invisible they become
as such people don’t even look at them or the business they conduct as a viable option
without this being a viable option people are advertently excluded in the process
I wouldn’t call this a negative response rather a negative observation
Agreed. One Bermuda’s most valuable resources is Her People – the workforce. We must prepare our future workforce.
Do perceptions create, and experiences shape, a person’s reality?
Progress requires commitment.
wonder why our students need to attend magistrates court to find out about law… Our students need to be given THE LAW OF THE LAND and our people need to know it and be given their Birthrights. There is a problem with the perception of law and the true meaning of it… First we need to establish status and jurisdiction through etymology. If our students know who they are and how they are perceived it would make a huge diffence in the future of this beautiful island…But then again a lot of other people would either be without jobs or be forced to act upon the oath they have sworn to. What is a constitutional order? Is it legal or lawful.. why doesn’t Britian have a constitution? why does the queen of windsor , who is supposed to be head of our “state” paying taxes and to who? how does one island get to assume jurisdiction over another by merely “stating” it? these and many other questions pertaining to law including the corporate world that dominates us versus the religious dominant influence have to do with the law? Our curriculum really needs to be revamped to reflect pertinent information for our children and youths to navigate better in their Land, starting first with their TRUE history, as we are wary of the attempts by albinos to obfuscate the history of melinated people including us without properly identifying us throughout history books! One day there will be no need for our history and education to be given to us by strangers whose main concern is to really keep us childish and uneducated to ourselves, so that we will always need to search continually without finding, .. The best education one can have is that which they give to themselves, know thyself and seek out answers that are satiable, not just acceptable to appease a certain group of people.
Thank you Ms. Clarke, Magistrate Warner, Mr. Richardson and Eron Hill. I was a student and it was good to hear from Eron as he is a young guy close to my age, it really gave me inspiration that you can accomplish anything no matter your age. I may consider law after this..
The curriculum is Law and Civiil rights. Which means the exposure is more to the set up and structure. What judges do, what lawyers do, what criminals do. Etc. it is easier to visit magistrate court to learn to understand the process because so much red tape goes into getting into the system for reinsurance and insurance courts. The negative comment was the implication that they only take the students there because of a possible future in crime, unless I read the comment incorrectly.
If anyone out there is a lawyer for the insurance industry, then I offer the invite. Call the school and invite the Bermuda Social studies students to your court sessions so they can see how that court works. Rather than make comments about why they didn’t, offer an invitation.
Nothing is more tiresome then people who complain about things, but do nothing to help.
How often has anyone gone into the public school system to offer anything? Think about that before you write them off as only being exposed to one type of thing… When they are exposed to what is truly available.
You would be surprised how often public schools have asked and been turned down. So consider, are you part of the solution or just adding to, or increasing the problem. I don’t mean the social problems, I mean…just offering and saying this is another option. Children can only hope for what they are exposed to.
agreed
giving it some further thought
I think Cedar Bridge was on the right track with asking the magistrate to participate as he is a useful resource for criminal law
so following that line of thinking they should consider approaching the Supreme Court who has a commercial court specifically set up for insurance/reinsurance matters to see if they could participate in a program speaking directly to corporate and insurance/reinsurance law
that perhaps could give the students a more balanced approach to the legal environment as it relates specifically to Bermuda