Students competed in the Young Citizen’s Bar Mock Trial 2024, against other sixth forms and colleges in the Leeds area. Bar Mock Trial sets students the challenge to form a Defence and Prosecution council on two different cases to test the student legal knowledge and trial debate skills.

Students take on the roles of Defence barrister, Witness for the Defence, Prosecution Barrister, Witness for the Prosecution, Court Clerk, Court Usher, Victim and Defendant. On the day of the competition, they will also make up the jury for another team’s case.

This tests their abilities to build a good case based on the evidence and testimonies presented to them and gives them the chance to apply their knowledge of the law to competition scenario.

To help them prepare for their Bar Mock Trial as part of their enrichment programme, on a Wednesday afternoon, students worked on the cases with Law teachers, Miss Binns and Miss Barley. As well as developing their teamwork and communication skills, the students worked with a barrister, Conor Quinn, from KBW Chambers in Leeds.

“It was fantastic to have Conor join us during the preparation stages,” said Miss Binns, “as well as their ability to debate and make their case, the competition will test students on court room etiquette and their understanding on the rules and procedures.”

“Working with a real barrister, has really helped us get an idea of what it is like to speak in front of a judge. There are a lot of things you need to follow, so it’s good to have the chance to speak to a real barrister and ask questions,” said one student.

The competition took place in the School of Law at the Leeds Beckett University, with students getting a chance to visit and practise in the university’s mock court room.

The students were praised for their confidence and thorough preparation and were awarded points for their ability to persuade a jury with their arguments.
“It was a really good day and a lot of fun,” said one student. “I want to go to university to study law, and then become a lawyer so this was a great opportunity to see how a trial works from the barrister’s side. It was also fun to sit on the jury for other schools and see how they argue the cases.”
“Overall, we are so proud of our students for all their hard work,” said Miss Barley. “They have shown a lot of dedication to have prepared for the competition in such a short space of time. The feedback from the judges has been excellent and we’re really excited to see how they all progress with their passions for law in the future.”