New citizenship lessons have been created to teach pupils about Brexit and the Article 50 process.

Youngsters will learn about why judges are involved in the proceedings, according to the Bar Council and the Citizenship Foundation, which have developed the lessons.

The resources, which will help to educate secondary school pupils about the judiciary’s role in the democratic process, have been launched on the day that the UK’s highest court is due to give its ruling on the government’s Brexit challenge.

The Bar Council said that the lessons were created after it heard that schools had been struggling to find ways to discuss the high-profile case with students.

Resources for teachers to use are being sent out free of charge to every secondary school in the UK.

Critical thinking

Sam Mercer, Head of Policy for CSR at the Bar Council, said: “How do you explain to a teenager that there is an argument for unelected judges in a democracy?

“Constitutional politics is not always easy to understand, but it is vital that our children properly understand how our government and judiciary work, and we are delighted to be working with the Citizenship Foundation on this project.

“These lessons will help students to understand why judges are involved in deciding questions such as who should trigger Article 50.

“Not everybody will agree with their ruling, but young people should be able to think critically about government and the judiciary, and we want to give them the right tools and information so that they can do it properly.”

Tom Franklin, chief executive of the Citizenship Foundation, said they wanted to help young people “understand the importance of the rule of law in upholding democracy in the UK by discussing a real-life and significant event”.

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