Criminal Pupils – ‘Advocacy for Children in Conflict with the Law’ Training Course

The Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) has created a training course, ‘Advocacy for Children in Conflict with the Law’, for pupils who prosecute or defend children and young people in the Youth Court and the Crown Court.

This is a training course that has been designed and developed by the ICCA with an experienced Working Group of practitioners, academics, intermediaries and judges. The aim is for the course to be offered to any advocate who works with children and young people. The BSB requires advocates to declare their competency in line with their Youth Proceedings Competences – https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/uploads/assets/197b7604-ac56-4175-b09476ec43ef188c/bsbyouthcompetencies2017forwebsite.pdf

The standard of advocacy in this field has been identified as an area of risk; the consequences for children and young people not suitably supported or represented at this stage can be catastrophic.  The legal landscape is complex and should be a clear area of specialism. The course touches on all key areas of competency and will include constructive feedback on advocacy.

There are multiple opportunities to attend the training course across the rest of this year and 2026. The training is free to attend, and refreshments and lunch will be provided.  The online materials will take up to two days to prepare and a Sentencing Note must be submitted in advance. The dates, venues and deadlines for the upcoming training days are:

If you would like to attend the course, please complete this booking form and keep in mind that spaces are limited. Please note that you must confirm that you are a criminal pupil and the chambers where you are undertaking your pupillage. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

By signing up to attend, you are making a professional commitment and are confirming your commitment to preparing and submitting the Sentencing Note in advance of the training. Failure to attend and cancellations may be reported to your Pupillage Supervisor.