Crediton students victorious in mock trial at Old Bailey
updated on 02 April 2012
Students from the Queen Elizabeth Academy in Crediton have won the final of the Bar National Mock Trial Competition on 24 March, in the annual competition's 21st year.
The competition provides an opportunity for students aged between 15 and 18 to gain practical experience of the workings of the legal system. The 2012 final was held at the Old Bailey in London, and saw students from 16 non-fee-paying UK schools present trials in front of serving judges and senior members of the Bar. The winners, Queen Elizabeth Academy, beat Dalriada School from Ballymoney in the final stage of the competition.
The competition is organised by the Citizenship Foundation, and supported by the Bar Council, the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland, the Bar Library of Northern Ireland, the four Inns of Court and the six Circuits of England and Wales.
Speaking on behalf of the partner organisations, Bar Chairman Michael Todd QC said that they were proud to support the competition and to host the final at the "suitably iconic Central Criminal Court". He went on: "The competition has grown tremendously from its inception 21 years ago, and now engages over 2,500 students every year with the important issues surrounding citizenship and the justice system. The Bar Council is delighted to support this important initiative to educate students about citizenship at an early stage, particularly at a time when the government is reviewing its place as a national curriculum subject."
