Magistrates' Court Mock Trial Competition 2009/10
Applications for the 2010/11 competition will open on Monday 6 September and will be available online.
For results of the 2009/10 competition, please click on the link 'National Final Report' to the left of the page.
2010/11 Competition
Updates about the 2010/11 cycle of the competition, including dates and application forms will be available in early September on this page.
Introduction
Over 95% of criminal cases, more than one million every year, are dealt with by magistrates, yet many people know very little 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 17th 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 years 8 or 9 in England and Wales (years 9 and 10 in Northern Ireland). Each school enters a team of 12-13 students.
Court Reporter and Court Artist Competitions
Alongside the main competition each team can nominate up to two court reporters and up to two court 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 justice system
- Develop skills of research, discussion, public speaking, analysis, communication and teamwork
How do we enter?
The 2010/11 competition will open to entries on 6th September 2010, and will be via an online application form which will be available on the 'How to Enter' section of this site.
What is the timescale?
Local Heats take place March, with winning schools progressing to the regional heats in May. Local and regional heats typically take place on Saturdays but may take place during the week depending on your heat. The National Final will be held in mid-to-late June.
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 for the competition, including information about the law and the criminal justice system.
- A specially written case
- A local contact will be available to try to arrange a court visit and/or a visit from a magistrate to your school (please note this is not guaranteed)
- Dedicated classroom resources available from the password protected website for both teachers and students
- The MCMT Project Officer at the Citizenship Foundation is also happy to answer questions (contact details below).
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 they also voluntarily contribute their time to organise Local Heats and assist schools with their preparations. Over the years we have gathered a core of volunteers who continue to help us in our work. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their ongoing support and dedication.
New volunteers are always received with delight. If you are interested in becoming involved in the competition, please do not hesitate to contact the Project Officer by phone on 020 7566 4155 or by email, mcmt@citizenshipfoundation.org.uk.
The Magistrates' Court Mock Trial Competition is organised in partnership with the Magistrates' Association and sponsored by Her Majesty's Court Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice.
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