Debating in the World of Advocacy & the Law: A Special Socratic Club session (Junior & Senior Groups) - 18th May 2025

We were delighted to welcome our Junior & Senior group members to ‘Debating in the World of Advocacy & the Law: A Special Socratic Club Session’ - the first in a new series exploring key questions in law, justice, and society. The session was led by Andrew Kopkin, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with an Oxford and Cambridge university education, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.

The session introduced students to the role of law in balancing liberty and order, exploring the principles and differences behind juries and justice systems in the UK and US. Through engaging discussion, students considered whether they would prefer to be judged by a jury, a judge, or even artificial intelligence.

Our live polls revealed a range of views. When asked whether they would prefer to be judged by a human judge or an AI judge, 79% chose a human, while 21% preferred AI. In a school setting, 78% said they would rather be judged by classmates than by teachers (22%). When asked whether they would prefer to be judged by a jury or a judge, responses were fairly evenly split: 56% favoured a jury, and 44% preferred a judge.

We then turned to two compelling case studies: Sophocles' Antigone, highlighting the conflict between natural and state law, and The Speluncean Explorers, a famous fictitious legal dilemma that challenged students to consider morality, necessity, and the limits of law in extreme circumstances.

We were thrilled with the excellent points raised throughout the session. Members responded with energy, insight, and thoughtful contributions. The discussion was so rich and lively that we could easily have continued for hours!

We very much look forward to our next session in the series.