Leeds Combined Court Centre

So today I went for a visit on my a level law trip and it was alright I suppose. Firstly we went to the magistrates court and well this heavily affects my rating because we were basically sat in the court for atleast 1 hour or an hour and 30 minutes before anything actually happened. From like probs somet past 10am to 12:50 we saw like 2 cases and like one got bail or probation and I can't remember the other one. I suppose it was alright but it was just boring being sat in silence for at least an hour before we saw anything. Later on we went to see the crown court and unfortunately my group only got to see the closing statements and the jury go and decide an outcome before we left. It was ashame really. I really wanted to see the entire process from opening statements/speeches to closing statements/speeches. Overall it was an educational and insightful experience although plagued by boredom. Atleast it's free to go to see a criminal case so it's not like I wasted money thankfully. Id recommend going to anyone interested in law. If your impatient then don't come because you won't enjoy it. Then again it depends on the date and time I suppose so atleast give it a try Fun for the whole family

Staff was lovely and kind the judge was very reasonable and listened to both sides equally

Tips for Jury Service: After spending 2 weeks on Jury Service in late 2023 I thought I’d come back & share some details which would have helped me get ready for the experience. Going through security can take over 10 mins in busy periods. It's much like an airport, but the metal detector arch is very sensitive. Stick everything in a tray, open any bags & take your coat off. You’ll need to take a sip of any drink you take in. I just took an empty water bottle & filled it later. It's one set of security doors for the jury, legal teams & anyone in court that day.. so you'll be mixing with everyone; there's no special jury/legal entrance. When through security, go right & someone will greet you on the first day & show you the door to the jurors lift (the only way to access the jury waiting area; there are no stairs).. there’s a pin code for the door which they’ll give you in the day 1 intro (it’ll be on the whiteboard). The information they give you is excellent & you don’t need to really figure out much before attending.. there’s an intro video on the first day. You’ll need to be there at 9am on the first day, then 10am subsequent days unless told otherwise. Lunch is generally 1-2pm (you can eat in the waiting room), and you’ll be done by 4:30pm at the latest. You can’t leave the building unless they say you can. When you're on a trial I often found these started at 10:30 and you were leaving by 4pm. It’s a massive waiting room (that feels like a GP surgery), with about 120 people in attendance. It has a temperature like Tropical World, so wear layers & light clothing! The lockers in the main corridor are useful; you’ll need a quid. You can leave your bag in there & go out into Leeds without a bag search when you come back. You can take your bag and coat into court with you, but make sure your phone is off. There’s no eating in court, but water is supplied, as are writing materials. The judges and ushers are excellent & tell you everything else you need to know to guide you through the process. There can be a lot of waiting.. then you might go to a room, then wait some more, sometimes only to end up going back to the waiting area! Be prepared with something to do/read/watch/listen to. A small minority of people will not get picked to do anything in the whole 2 weeks. If you have a reason not to be in a long trial (beyond the 2 weeks) it’s a good idea to write it before you go.. then if you’re asked (by filling in a questionnaire) you have it to hand & can just copy it down, rather than having to think about it on the spot. Using an AI like ChatGPT is a good idea; have it coach you about what you’ve written & how to improve it to get your point across more effectively. There is free wifi.. you txt a number & it sends you a temporary account to use. The vending machine for hot drinks is basic and fiddly to work, especially for contactless payments (press payment by card first, then the number of the drink, then green button.. then tap to pay). The coffee isn’t great by any stretch of the imagination. It’s typically 80p for a drink. There is a microwave (I never saw anyone use it), fridge, and cold water dispenser. There is no vending machine for snacks (despite what the paperwork says).

Terrible court for family matters they lose applications and documents

The County Court section here are always good and are helpful for taking affidavits and such like. My only grumble is the closure time of the county court admin office at 2pm- its a real bind particularly if you are outside Leeds and need to file documents or see to a document in person. If it closed at 3pm it'd be a great help.