Law · Year 13

Active learning ideas

Law and Justice

Justice is a central goal of any legal system, but its definition is highly contested. This topic introduces students to different theories of justice, including distributive justice (fair allocation of resources), corrective justice (remedying wrongs), and procedural justice (fairness of the process). Students study key thinkers like John Rawls and his 'veil of ignorance,' alongside utilitarian perspectives from Jeremy Bentham.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• AQA Law 4.4.2
• OCR Law H415/04

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Veil of Ignorance

Students must design a set of laws for a new society without knowing if they will be rich, poor, disabled, or healthy (Rawls' Veil of Ignorance). They then 'reveal' their identities and discuss whether the laws they created are truly just for everyone.

What are the different theories of justice, such as utilitarianism and distributive justice?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Legal Aid Deserts

Groups research the availability of legal aid in different parts of the UK for civil or criminal cases. They create a 'Justice Map' showing where barriers to procedural justice exist and present their findings on how this affects substantive outcomes.

How does the legal system attempt to ensure procedural and substantive justice?

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Utilitarianism vs. Individual Rights

Students are given a scenario where a small number of people's rights are sacrificed for the 'greater good' of the majority. They pair up to argue if this is just according to Bentham (Utilitarianism) versus a rights-based approach, then share with the class.

What are the practical barriers to achieving justice in the UK?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Justice just means 'following the rules.'

  This is 'procedural justice,' but a system can follow rules and still produce 'substantive' injustice (unfair outcomes). Using case studies of miscarriages of justice helps students see that the process and the outcome are both essential for true justice.

• Everyone in the UK has an equal right to legal representation.

  While the right exists in theory, the 'means test' for legal aid and the rise of 'legal aid deserts' mean many cannot afford a lawyer. Peer-led research into the LASPO Act 2012 helps students understand the practical barriers to justice.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share