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Teaching Youth Justice

Lesson 2.4: Statements: Persons in Authority

Rationale
This lesson is an extension of Lesson 2.3. Its purpose is to help students gain an appreciation of the complexity of interpreting the law as it applies to young persons making statements to persons in authority.


Procedure
1. Review with class what they have learned about statements to the police and the right to counsel.

2. Using the handout Statements: Persons in Authority and the Law, explain that the safeguards that are in place for police questioning youth may also apply to certain other people.
KEY QUESTION:

  • Who are some persons in authority in your life?

3. To illustrate this concept, distribute Case Studies: Persons in Authority for students to work on. It may be preferable to have students work in small groups due to the complexity of the law in question.

Statements: Persons in Authority and the Law

Handout

Persons in Authority

Case Studies

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