Class in court: pupils argue own lawsuit
On Monday 24 March 2025, pupils of the fifth and sixth years of primary school De Esdoorn from Hombeek had a unique opportunity to experience the workings of justice up close. During an educational role-play in the court of Mechelen, they took on the role of judge, lawyer, defendant and prosecutor. This is part of the Advocaat op School project, which interactively introduces children to the workings of the rule of law and the crucial role a lawyer plays in it.
A revamped approach for stronger impact
Today, pupils from The Maple tested the final revamped trial. The concept of Lawyer at School has been around for years, but was revamped. On the basis of interviews with children, young people, law students and lawyers (trainees), the project was reworked to fit in better with young people's world. In addition, a motivated working group of lawyers, bar staff and teachers helped optimise the content. Today, the final role-play took place.
Fascinating court case: who is right?
The students dealt with a fictional case in which Robin Tromson accuses his classmate Sam Kinnoa of burglary, theft and vandalism after precious birds disappeared from an aviary. The big question was: what really happened? The court environment and role-sharing allowed the pupils to discover for themselves how the legal system works and which arguments can be decisive in a court case.
"Children learn best by doing. By letting them actively participate in a court game, we bring justice to life and make it accessible to this generation."
Why is this important?
By introducing young people to justice in a playful and realistic way, they learn how the legal system works and why the rule of law is essential. They discover how a lawyer acts as a defender of everyone's rights and what role they play in a fair trial. The project stimulates their critical thinking and argumentation skills and contributes to their civic awareness.
"With initiatives like Advocate at School, we give young people the opportunity to experience the impact of laws and justice for themselves. This is crucial for them to grow up to become critical and well-informed citizens."
Zelf een advocaat in jouw klas?
Latest press releases
'The hijacking of Pompeii' hijacks Press Award
The jury of the Advocaat.be press prize has selected 'The Hijacking of Pompeii' as the winner. Second and third place go to De Coke Lijnen, a series by Lars Bové and Piet Depuydt in the newspaper De Tijd, and De zaak Carlo, a Panoreportage (VRT) by journalist Dirk Leestmans, director Jeremy De Ryckere and cameraman Stijn De Moor.
National action: Presidents of the Bar Associations carry out surveillance in all Belgian prisons
To mark European Human Rights Day, all Belgian Presidents of the Bar Associations are exercising their new legal visitation right, which since this year has allowed them to visit prisons within their jurisdiction. Every President of a Bar Associations in Belgium is visiting one of the prisons today. This national action underlines the seriousness of the situation in Belgian prisons, where overcrowding and a lack of basic facilities threaten the fundamental rights of detainees.
16 lawyers scrapped in 2022-2023
The College of Supervision of the Flemish Legal Profession has published its fourth report. This provides an overview of disciplinary proceedings against lawyers in Flanders (including Brussels-Dutch) in the judicial year running from 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023.