A mock court competition held by the Courts & Tribunals Service was won by Oliver Nicholson from Castle Rushen High School.
The event created the opportunity for sixth formers to gain insight into the legal profession with an experience that closely mirrored real-life court proceedings.
Students from QEII, Castle Rushen, Ballakermeen, and St Ninian’s High School were assigned a role as either prosecution or defence and tasked with making or opposing mock applications for Court Bail.
In advance of the competition the students received fictional Court papers, an outline of the law regarding bail applications, and a video tutorial on how to craft their submissions.
Mock Court Competition
Three magistrates presided over proceedings and a fourth magistrate scored the students with individual feedback on the advocacy skills.
Advocates Helen Lobb from Wood Law, Michael Miles from Simcocks, Jorden Rafferty-Gough from Cains, and Lawrie Gelling from Hannan Law provided advice to the students on the day.
Alexander Armstrong, Legal Officer at the Isle of Man Courts & Tribunals Service, organised the competition and drafted the mock applications.
He said: “The students showcased impressive public speaking skills and clearly dedicated significant time to preparing and structuring their arguments.
“The mock Court event supports students interested in legal careers and runs in conjunction with our primary school and Future Advocates visit programmes.
“This second mock Court experience continued to offer a glimpse into the work of an advocate, helping students in their career aspirations by enhancing their CVs, and serving as a springboard for work experience in careers as legal professionals.”
7 Comments