Today, we went to the Highbury-Islington Magistrates’ Court. We had the honor of meeting two men who have been serving as magistrates for over 10 years. Their names were Tony Butler & Mark Oxemham. We learned that magistrates are people from the community who serve on a bench of three to hear cases in their community. Normally the magistrate who has been there the longest also known as the Presiding magistrate will sit in the middle. Their overall duty is to look at evidence and decide if the defendant is guilty or innocent. All cases start in magistrate courts such as this one so they hear cases about theft, terrorism, murder , domestic abuse, and much more. After learning about what they do we had the honor of listening to a few cases going on. We got to hear cases concerning thief, assault, and even verbal abuse. The procedure of the magistrates’ court allowed us to compare our justice system to theirs. Despite the differences, the main goal was to receive justice for all the victims involve. This day was very fun and enlightening. I’m so glad we had this opportunity!