Budding Slough lawyers represent school in mock legal trial
Aspiring law students from Eden Girls’ School, Slough were able to experience the exhilaration of a legal case as they took part in a mock trial at Reading Crown Court.
19 pupils from the secondary school competed in the Young Citizens Mock Trial contest, which involved researching, preparing and then presenting a legal case in an official courtroom. The pupils competed against other schools by representing both the prosecution and defence in a fictitious case.
The would-be lawyers were tasked with preparing a robust case in a harassment trial called ‘R v Davies’. The participants were given five months to investigate the case and the relevant parts of law to inform their roles as lawyers, magistrates, witnesses, legal advisers and a defendant.
In the lead up to the big day in court, the pupils showed incredible commitment to the exercise, even coming into school on weekends and in the holidays to rehearse and refine the minor details of the case.
During the mock trial at Reading Crown Court, Year 10 pupil Ikrah Qureshi began proceedings by delivering an impassioned and compelling opening statement, before the team’s prosecution lawyers cross-examined the victim and defence witnesses.
The defence team repeated the process following the same format, which included a persuasive closing statement from pupil Alya Cheema, which was enough to convince the magistrates of a ‘not guilty’ verdict.
Pupil Ikrah Qureshi said:
“We were grateful for such a unique and brilliant opportunity which will be a memory we will all forever hold onto. We were all so proud of each other for the hard work that we put in, and special thanks to our organiser Miss Kiely for making this all possible in the first place.”
Although the pupils missed out on a place in the final, the whole experience provided them with a vital insight into the legal system and a window into a potential career in the legal profession.
Added By: Star Academies | Date Added: 25th Jul 2022 | Posted In: Latest News