I am interested in attending a court case concerning a beach of health and safety legislation to get a feel for the process - I do a lot of health and safety training and think it would help to get the message accross about the implications of not managing h&s well if I have this experience. I have come accross this website http://www.courtserve.net/ which lists cases in Crown Courts but it just lists names rather than any further infroamtion on the case. Does anyone have any tips they can offer on how I can track down this information?

Every court in the UK apparently has a public gallery to which members of the public can usually have access free of charge at any time when cases are being heard. Relatively few cases or parts of ordinary cases are held in private ("in camera"), in which case appropriate notices are displayed outside the courtrooms involved. Except for "in camera" cases, people can generally enter or leave public galleries whenever they wish, so cases can be observed in their entirety or in part, even for just for a few minutes in order to discern what they are about. Obviously it's a good idea to keep as quiet as possible when entering or leaving public galleries. For those pursuing a career in OS&H and/or who have never been inside a court, it's very worthwhile going to observe cases as and when the opportunity arises. If you've got a spare half day in London for example, try the law courts on the Strand or even the House of Lords (highest court in the land) for which the queue outside tends to be shorter than for the House of Commons. Magistrates courts are more numerous and thus more accessible for most people than Crown courts which, as Steve40 says, are more impressive, not least because the judges and lawyers wear wigs and gowns, etc. In addition to OS&H related cases it can be enlightening to observe other types of cases. Observers can usually make notes if they wish, just as media reporters do. By their nature courts can be intimidating, so some prior acquaintance with their atmosphere, procedures and who does what can be helpful, especially to anyone who has been summoned to give evidence in court. Everyone who enters a court building is subject to airport-style security screening, so it's best to leave behind any items which security staff might deem to be potentially offensive. This can include a small penknife as I discovered a few years ago. However, unlike at airports, confiscated items are given back as you leave the building in return for a receipt. Digital cameras are also prone to confiscation because photography inside courthouses and especially courtrooms is strictly forbidden. However, I'm not sure what the score is regarding mobiles which incorporate camera facilities: Does anyone have experience of this aspect?

Hi Lucy I would suggest you contact your local HSE office for the case numbers of current prosecutions, this should be possible under freedom of information (I think) once you have the number you can ask at the court when they are going to be heard. The trouble with at lot of HSE cases is they get deferred at lot as information is checked and sitting in court just to hear that the case is postponed for 4-6 month is annoying. You could also try the Local Authority but they proscute much less

Some IOSH branches hold mock trials at their meetings from time to time, so it's worth keeping an eye on the IOSH website and Connect e-mails for details about such events. The Public Services Section (a great section in my wholly unbiased opinion!) of the Manchester & North West Districts Branch held such an event last Autumn. It was written by one of our members who is also a magistrate. Another member - also a magistrate - agreed to be the chair of the bench and played her part very convincingly, especially during the summing up and verdict which left me and some others glad that we weren't appearing in front of her for real. Unlike real trials, mock trials can incorporate useful pauses to allow for questions and/or explanations of what is happening and why. Also, photos as a record of such events may be permitted by agreement, though it should be made clear that taking photos, videos or even recording speech in real courts is absolutely forbidden. I've no sympathy with the teenager jailed in the case mentioned by stevie40 above. Judges and magistrates also take a dim view of anyone whose mobile rings during a trial. Though I can't recall if mobiles have to be fully switched off or just set to silent, I think I've read that jurors who text when they're supposed to be paying attention to a trial are also liable to be done for contempt of court. I did hear of a magistrate who was annoyed at a mobile ringing while he was chairing a case, and then realised that it was his own mobile. Goodness knows what penalty he applied to himself!

May I suggest spend some time attending the Coroner's Court as well

I must agree with Steve-IOM. I attended a Coroners court a few months back as a Jurer (lucly me to be picked) which heard a case of a workplace death; quite ironic understanding my career. Nonetheless I found the experience worthwhile as it gave you a feel of the inquest process and whilst understanding what went wrong etc, as a juror you are there not to apportion blame but to confirm the facts of how death occurred, something that was at first hard to do. As it is usually at low odds to be picked for Coroners court as a Jurer, the cases herad that relate to workplace deaths are even rarer, thank God.