Year 9 pupils took part in the Magistrates Mock Trial competition and were the best in Lancashire.
A group of pupils took part in the heats at Burnley Crown Court in March in front of real magistrates, as part of a Young Citizens competition.
They had to defend and prosecute a case that required careful planning and a good understanding of the law. The young legal teams prepared a case of harassment and had to play all the roles including witnesses, legal advisors and court clerks.
The Year 9 team won their heat in Burnley and went through to the North Staffordshire Justice Centre for the regional finals competing against other schools from all over the country.
While they didn’t win the competition, it gave the pupils a positive experience of public speaking, understanding the law and working as a team.
Safiyyah said: “The Burnley event was fun. I was a defence witness so I was cross-examined and I had to get into character which I enjoyed. “For the regional final, I was a prosecution witness so I played both sides. It was a good experience and it made me think about a possible career in law.”
Aisha, whose parents are both lawyers, said: “We were the strongest team at the Burnley event and I was a the defendant who was in court on a serious charge, before being a prosecution solicitor for the regional event. “It helps to build you confidence taking part in extra-curricular activities like this.”
The pupils are now looking forward to their next challenge when they will participate in the Bar Mock Trial run by Young Citizens in the Autumn Term
