Prosecutor talks to students
Is it always in the public interest to prosecute a crime suspect? What if a domestic violence victim refuses to testify? Or if a mum's moment of inattention on the road causes her daughter's death?
Senior Crown Prosecutor Olivia Gooding sparked a lively debate when she spoke to access students at Cambridge Regional College about her work.
She talked about her unusual path into legal practise - leaving school at 16 and studying law at night school - before going on to talk about her current work with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Olivia focused on issues surrounding two controversial areas of law - domestic violence and causing death by dangerous driving.
Students discussed when it's in the public interest to prosecute people accused of such offences. For example, what if a domestic violence victim refuses to testify? If charging the perpetrator puts the victim at risk? Or what if a parent causes their child's death as a result of bad driving? Should they be they prosecuted?
The session sparked an interesting debate - proving that criminal justice is never as simple as it may first seem!
Senior prosecutor Olivia Gooding talks to Cambridge Regional College students about her work.