You be the Judge
The Sentencing Council
The challenge
A Sentencing Council survey found that 64% of respondents believed sentencing in the UK was too lenient. However, when presented with real-life scenarios, these perceptions often changed. To address this, the Sentencing Council asked us to create six videos aimed at deepening the public’s understanding of the sentencing process by putting them in the position of a judge or magistrate.
We were given six scenarios based on different crimes: possession of a firearm, assault on an emergency worker, robbery, fraud, possession of class A drugs, and possession of a bladed article. In each video, viewers would be presented with the facts of the case and then asked to choose the most appropriate sentence from multiple-choice options.
The solution
In the initial stages, we wrote six scripts using professional scriptwriting software, Final Draft, drawing on our experiences of working in the Ministry of Justice to bring the characters of the judges and the barristers to life. We worked closely with the client and judges to ensure that the scripts were legally sound and the costumes were true to life.
Our video team secured locations and worked with a casting agent to cast over 35 different actors. We filmed the project over six days, after which we edited the footage, created on-screen graphics for the multiple-choice options and designed a logo to accompany the videos on the website.
Project summary
- Client
- The Sentencing Council
- Objective
- Create six videos to educate the public on how sentencing works and the types of sentences different crimes can receive
- Audience
- The general public and people studying law
- Production
- Six videos and a logo
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