BEING arrested, tried and sentenced is, hopefully, an unknown experience for most.
But judges and police are working with the North Shore Family Court and Youth Justice Committee to show how the justice system works Saturday at the North Vancouver Courthouse for the committee's second annual Law Day Open House.
Criminal justice personnel will be on site for this family-oriented event, staging a fake crime and going through the motions of detecting evidence at the scene to apprehending a suspect, all the way into the court and facing the judge.
The courtroom drama will play out twice, once for an adult court scenario and once for a youth court scenario.
Sioned Dyer, chairwoman of the NSFCYJC, said it's a fun event that is meant to educate and remove the veil between the public and the justice system.
"It's really fun and last year we had around 200 attendees," she said. "You get to see just how the court system works, from the mock crime to the fake sentencing. It's meant to educate the public and answer questions they might have about the justice system."
Participants are also invited to ask any questions they might have to the judges, lawyers and police on hand.
Extra information about related services, such as youth, First Nations and family matters, are also going to be part of the event. Members of the North Vancouver RCMP and West Vancouver Police Department will be on hand.
To make the show more accessible, translators for various languages will be available for those who need it.
"We're also bringing back Timber, the drug-sniffing dog, who was a big hit last year," Dyer said.
Volunteers will be handed items and lined up, and police will have Timber search them for any "contraband" they might have.
The event kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m.
