Law students visit Houses of Parliament

Walsall College’s Law students visited the Houses of Parliament in London, where they learnt about the history of British law, and how new legislations are made.

The trip, which took place in March, was funded by the National Express, which awards funds to colleges to help staff and students to travel to locations that enrich their learning experience.

Students, including those on Level 3 and Access to Law courses, were given an informative guided visit to the House of Lords and House of Commons.

During their visit, students learnt about the development of British law over hundreds of years, and the individuals responsible for its changes.

They also found out about the process of creating legislation through their visit to the House of Commons, where they had the opportunity to look at a number of famous features, including the speaker’s chair and members’ benches.

A visit to the House of Lords followed, and students were able to observe the throne that Her Majesty the Queen sits upon during ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament – an annual event where she outlines proposed policies and legislation for the new parliamentary year.

At the end of their tour, students received a talk from Lord Sawyer of Darlington, who explained how Lords review new legislations discussed in the Houses of Parliament, which are then sent to Her Majesty the Queen for final approval.

Lord Sawyer of Darlington also talked about his academic journey, from growing up on a council estate to becoming the Labour Party general secretary. He later became a Union Leader of public service union Unison, before being appointed a Lord on the Labour benches.

Claudette St Prix, Curriculum Manager for Law, said: “The visit to the Houses of Parliament was a good opportunity for students to learn about the history of law, which is vital to their studies.

The visit was enabled students to explore the process of how new laws are made, which will help them understand their future careers and cement the knowledge gained through their course.”

Walsall College offer a range of Law courses, from a BTEC Level 3 Diploma to an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Law and Business. To find out more, take a look at our courses online or request a prospectus here.

For more information about enrolling on a course at Walsall College, please call 01922 657000.