Bar Mock Trials
Encyclopedia
The "Bar National Mock Trial Competition" which aims to give young people an insight to the workings of the legal system. Now in its 18th year, it involves over 2,000 students, 200 barrister
s/advocate
s and 90 judge
s from across England
, Scotland
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
.
The National Final was held on 12th March 2011 at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.
of London
, two points separated the winner and runner up.
The National Champion was Ponteland High School
(Winners of League Two) and runner up, The Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
(Winners of League Four and regional Oxford
round)
The finals were to be held at Liverpool Crown Court on 1 March 2008
on Saturday 1 March 2008. The sixteen Regional Heat winners from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland competed in three preliminary rounds in order to determine the top two finalist teams that would progress onto the Grand Final.
Queen Elizabeth's Community College, Crediton
(winners of the Plymouth Regional Heat) and Whitley Bay High School (winners of the Newcastle Regional Heat) were announced as the two finalists.
In the Grand Final the teams presented the case of Jordan Potter before a panel of five judges and senior counsel from across the UK: HHJ Clifton, HHJ Harris QC, Brian Kennedy QC, Herbert Kerrigan
QC and HHJ Roddy.
Whitley Bay High School were declared national champions. HHJ Clifton praised both teams on the high standard of their performances, noting the dramatic flair of the witnesses and the quality of all four barristers.
The new national champions received their trophy and prizes from the judges.
A total of 158 schools have taken part in the Competition since the heats began in November last year with Saturday marking the culmination of months of hard work for the sixteen finalists. Judd School in Tonbridge
and Ysgol Tre-Gib both won their Leagues but narrowly missed out getting to the final.
Suzanne Doogan from Lumen Christi played the role of a barrister. She said "The opportunity to work with real barristers and prepare a case has been a great experience. It gave us a real insight into how the justice system works”
Her teacher Dermot Hegarty added "I was impressed by how a number of shy students flourished and came out of their shells by taking part in the competition and the level of articulation and analytical skills was heartening to see. The actual day in court showed me how readily students rose to the challenge of such a pressurised setting. Their confidence shone through. The school was enlivened by our victory and the level of support has been fantastic."
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
s/advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
s and 90 judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s from across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Finalist 2010/2011
| Region | School/College |
|---|---|
| Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... |
Dalriada School Dalriada School Dalriada School is a mixed voluntary grammar school in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. The school draws its pupils from a wide geographical area and a range of social, religious and cultural backgrounds. In 2008 the school won the Northern Ireland State Secondary School of the Year award from The... |
| Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... |
De Lisle Catholic Science College De Lisle Catholic Science College De Lisle Catholic Science College, formerly De Lisle Roman Catholic Comprehensive School and sometimes called De Lisle School, is a co-educational comprehensive school in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. At the time of its 2000 Ofsted inspection it had 1,223 pupils including 160 in the sixth... |
| Chelmsford Chelmsford Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester... |
The Highfield School The Highfield School The Highfield School is a specialist Science College for secondary education in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. The Highfield School teaches students aged 11-18 from Year 7 through to Year 13. The school is part of the Letchworth Sixth Form Consortium with Fearnhill School... |
| Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
William Brookes School |
| Chester Chester Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the... |
Wilmslow High School Wilmslow High School Wilmslow High School, an 11-18 comprehensive, is the only secondary school in the town of Wilmslow, Cheshire. The school was designated as a specialist Sports College in September 2003... |
| Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
Mackie Academy Mackie Academy Mackie Academy is a secondary school in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. As of 2008, Mackie Academy currently has roughly 1300 pupils and 80 staff.-History:... |
| Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
Prior Pursglove College Prior Pursglove College Prior Pursglove College is a sixth form college in Guisborough in the local education authority of Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire, England. The college has been an educational institution since its founder Robert Pursglove set up the grammar school there in the 16th century after helping... |
| Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
Urmston Grammar School Urmston Grammar School Urmston Grammar, known as Urmston Grammar School until September 2010, is a co-educational grammar school in Urmston, Greater Manchester, England. It is a state school within Trafford Local Authority. The school was assessed as "outstanding" in its 2008 Ofsted report... |
| London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Ysgol Tre-Gib Ysgol Tre-Gib Ysgol Gyfun Tre-Gib is a bilingual, English language / Welsh language comprehensive school for pupils aged 11 yrs to 18 years based in Ffairfach, Llandeilo in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, bordering on the spectacular Brecon Beacons National Park.... |
| Chelmsford Chelmsford Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester... |
Chelmsford County High School |
| Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... |
Kesteven and Grantham Girls School |
| Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne... |
Ponteland High |
| Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
Wootton Upper School Wootton Upper School Wootton Upper School and Performing Arts College is located on Hall End Road, in Wootton. It teaches years 9-11 in compulsory education and years 12-13 in post-16 education. Approximately 75% of students previously in compulsory education stay on to the sixth form. Wootton Upper School is the fifth... |
| Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... |
Plymouth High School for Girls Plymouth High School for Girls Plymouth High School for Girls is a girls' grammar school founded in 1874. It is located on St Lawrence Road in Plymouth, Devon, England close to Mutley Plain and Plymouth city centre... |
| Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest... |
Bishop Luffa School Bishop Luffa School Bishop Luffa, named after a former Bishop of Chichester, Ralph de Luffa, is a coeducational Church of England secondary school in the City of Chichester, West Sussex, England. The number of enrolled students was around 1,400 in 2010, in eight 'Year' house-forms and the sixth form... |
| Preston | Runshaw College Runshaw College Runshaw College is a further and higher education college based at three centres in Leyland and Chorley, Lancashire, England.-History:The college was founded in Leyland when the sixth forms of Parklands High School and Balshaw's CE High School were amalgamated in 1974 to make a sixth form college... |
The National Final was held on 12th March 2011 at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.
Finalist Winners of 2008/09
In this year the finals were held in the Old BaileyOld Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, two points separated the winner and runner up.
The National Champion was Ponteland High School
Ponteland High School
Ponteland Community High School, previously Ponteland County High School, is a large secondary school in the village of Ponteland, Northumberland. Operating under the three-tier system in Northumberland the school takes pupils from ages 13–19.-History:...
(Winners of League Two) and runner up, The Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School with Specialisms in Science and Performing Arts is a co-educational grammar school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It is named after Sir Henry Floyd, a former Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. It is one of three Grammar Schools in Aylesbury Town. The others are...
(Winners of League Four and regional Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
round)
Finalist 2007/2008
| Region | School/College |
|---|---|
| Derry Derry Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"... |
Lumen Christi College Lumen Christi College Lumen Christi College is a co-educational Catholic grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland, founded in September 1997. The school is located at the site of the old St. Columb's College. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, Lumen Christi topped the GCSE and A-Level results league tables in Northern Ireland,... |
| Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... |
Wilmslow High School Wilmslow High School Wilmslow High School, an 11-18 comprehensive, is the only secondary school in the town of Wilmslow, Cheshire. The school was designated as a specialist Sports College in September 2003... |
| Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour.... |
Newstead Wood School for Girls Newstead Wood School for Girls Newstead Wood School for Girls is a selective girls' secondary school in Avebury Road, Orpington, London, England.-Admissions:It is an engineering and languages specialist school. The school has strong links with nearby St Olave's Grammar School. The current head teacher is Elizabeth Allen. The... |
| Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
Ysgol Tre-Gib Ysgol Tre-Gib Ysgol Gyfun Tre-Gib is a bilingual, English language / Welsh language comprehensive school for pupils aged 11 yrs to 18 years based in Ffairfach, Llandeilo in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, bordering on the spectacular Brecon Beacons National Park.... |
| Chelmsford Chelmsford Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester... |
Palmer's College Palmer's College Palmer's College is a sixth form college for 16 - 19 year olds in Thurrock, Essex, England. With an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection in 2007, the College was awarded Beacon status in 2008... |
| Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
Mackie Academy Mackie Academy Mackie Academy is a secondary school in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. As of 2008, Mackie Academy currently has roughly 1300 pupils and 80 staff.-History:... |
| Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
Greenhead College Greenhead College Greenhead College is a former grammar school and current sixth form college located in Huddersfield, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The current principal is Martin Rostron.... |
| Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
Chesterfield High School Chesterfield High School Chesterfield High School is a school located in Crosby, Merseyside, England, specialising in sports and ICT and officially opened on March 18, 1974, with the first official academic year starting in September 1972... |
| London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Leyton Sixth Form College Leyton Sixth Form College Leyton Sixth Form College is a mixed, 16-18 Sixth Form college on Essex Road in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.-Admissions:The school holds 1950 students. The college is situated close to the Greenwich Meridian, about 300 metres south of the A104, and west of the Whipps Cross University... |
| Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
Turton High School Media Arts College Turton High School Media Arts College Turton High School Media and Arts College is a mixed comprehensive secondary school and sixth form in Bromley Cross, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.-History and information:... |
| Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne... |
Whitley Bay High School Whitley Bay High School Whitley Bay High School is a foundation state school in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, England.-Admissions:It is a mixed school with around 1600 pupils, 500 of these being in the school's Sixth Form. In 2006 the school was awarded Specialist College Status in Science & Humanities. The school has... |
| Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... |
Wath Comprehensive School |
| Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
St. John's School |
| Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... |
Queen Elizabeth's Community College Queen Elizabeth's Community College Queen Elizabeth's Community College is a comprehensive school in Crediton, Devon. It is Devon's only state boarding school, and serves over 1600 students, of whom around one in forty are boarders... |
| Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... |
Bournemouth School for Girls Bournemouth School for Girls Bournemouth School for Girls is a grammar school located in Bournemouth, Dorset, exclusively for girls.It is a girls grammar school and sixth form college, teaching girls aged 11-18.-Academics:... |
| Preston | Runshaw College Runshaw College Runshaw College is a further and higher education college based at three centres in Leyland and Chorley, Lancashire, England.-History:The college was founded in Leyland when the sixth forms of Parklands High School and Balshaw's CE High School were amalgamated in 1974 to make a sixth form college... |
The finals were to be held at Liverpool Crown Court on 1 March 2008
Winners 2007/2008
This year's National Final was held at Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, LiverpoolQueen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Liverpool
The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Derby Square, Liverpool, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Courts Service.The Building contains the city's Crown Court which were previously housed in St Georges Hall...
on Saturday 1 March 2008. The sixteen Regional Heat winners from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland competed in three preliminary rounds in order to determine the top two finalist teams that would progress onto the Grand Final.
Queen Elizabeth's Community College, Crediton
Crediton
Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, about north west of Exeter. It has a population of 6,837...
(winners of the Plymouth Regional Heat) and Whitley Bay High School (winners of the Newcastle Regional Heat) were announced as the two finalists.
In the Grand Final the teams presented the case of Jordan Potter before a panel of five judges and senior counsel from across the UK: HHJ Clifton, HHJ Harris QC, Brian Kennedy QC, Herbert Kerrigan
Herbert Kerrigan
Herbert William Kerrigan was an American athlete who competed mainly in the high jump.He was born in Portland, Oregon and died in San Francisco....
QC and HHJ Roddy.
Whitley Bay High School were declared national champions. HHJ Clifton praised both teams on the high standard of their performances, noting the dramatic flair of the witnesses and the quality of all four barristers.
The new national champions received their trophy and prizes from the judges.
Winners 2006/2007
Lumen Christi College, winner of the Bar National Mock Trial Competition 2006/2007A total of 158 schools have taken part in the Competition since the heats began in November last year with Saturday marking the culmination of months of hard work for the sixteen finalists. Judd School in Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
and Ysgol Tre-Gib both won their Leagues but narrowly missed out getting to the final.
Suzanne Doogan from Lumen Christi played the role of a barrister. She said "The opportunity to work with real barristers and prepare a case has been a great experience. It gave us a real insight into how the justice system works”
Her teacher Dermot Hegarty added "I was impressed by how a number of shy students flourished and came out of their shells by taking part in the competition and the level of articulation and analytical skills was heartening to see. The actual day in court showed me how readily students rose to the challenge of such a pressurised setting. Their confidence shone through. The school was enlivened by our victory and the level of support has been fantastic."