Magistrates' Court Mock Trial Competition 2007/08
The competition is now closed to entries; if you are interested in participating in the competition next year, please check our website for updates in the summer of 2008.
For more details please call the Project Officer on 020 7566 4155.
Participating School? Login using the panel on the right.
Introduction
Over 95% of criminal cases, more than one million every year, are dealt with by magistrates, yet very few people know enough about their vital role. The Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition aims to introduce the legal system to young people in an innovative and exciting way, giving them the opportunity to gain hands on experience. Now in its fourteenth successful year, the competition involves young people throughout England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; every year over 4,500 young people and 800 magistrates and other legal professionals are involved in the competition.
Magistrates' Court Mock Trial sample video >>
What is involved?
Students take on the roles of lawyers, witnesses, magistrates and court staff and prepare the prosecution and defence of specially written criminal cases. Teams compete against each other in a live format at Magistrates' Courts with their performances judged by Magistrates and other legal professionals.
Who can enter?
State-funded secondary schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Students must be in year 8 and 9 in England and Wales (in Northern Ireland years 9 and 10). Each school enters a team of 12-13 students.
Court Reporter and Court Artist Competitions
Alongside the main competition each team can nominate a maximum of two court reporters and artists who will attend the Local Heat. After watching one of the trials, the students will have 14 days to submit their entries to the Citizenship Foundation.
Why enter?
Through active learning the competition provides a fun, exciting and innovative way of exploring the provisions for citizenship at Key Stage 3, by offering young people the opportunity to:
- Gain an understanding of the legal rights and responsibilities and the role and workings of the criminal criminal justice system
- Develop skills of research, discussion, public speaking, analysis, communication and teamwork
How do we enter?
Fill in the entry form and send it, with your cheque for £125 made payable to the Citizenship Foundation. A £100 deposit will be returned following your team’s participation in the competition. If you withdraw from the competition your deposit will not be returned. It may be possible to enter a second team if there is space in the Local Heat which incurs a further £25 entry fee, (£150 in total).
What is the timescale?
The closing date for applications is 19 October 2007. Schools will have received their resources in the autumn term. Local Heats take place on a Saturday morning in February or March, with the winning schools progressing to the Regional Finals in May, followed by the National Final on the 21st of June 2008 in Leeds Magistrates' Court.What help do we get?
There is no need for students or teachers to have studied any law before taking part in the competition. Schools will receive:- A school's guide containing all the information teams will need to prepare, including information about the law and the criminal justice system.
- A specially written case
- A video introducing mock trials (if requested)
- A local contact will be available who will try and arrange a court visit and/or a visit from a magistrate to the school (not guaranteed)
- Dedicated classroom resources available from the password protected website for both teachers and and students
- The MCMT Project Officer at the Citizenship Foundation is also happy to answer questions.
The volunteers
The Competition relies very heavily on the work and assistance of local magistrates and court clerks, other legal professionals and court staff. Not only do they open their courts for the mock trials but also voluntarily contribute their time to organise Local Heats as well as assist schools with their preparations. Over the years we have gathered a core of volunteers who continue to help us in our work. Any new volunteers are always received with delight.
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The Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition is organised in partnership with the Magistrates’ Association and sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, Addleshaw Goddard and Wilkinson.
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