Bishop Luffa Legal Eagles Team
A group of budding lawyers took part in the regional heats of the National Bar Mock Trial competition. The competition has been running since 1991 and each year involves over 200 schools and nearly 3,000 students from across the UK. Teams of up to 15 students aged between 15 and 18, prepare the prosecution and defence of two specially written criminal cases and take on the roles of lawyers, witnesses, court officials and jurors in a mock trial. Their performances are judged by Circuit Judges, Recorders and senior barristers/advocates. Each team takes part in regional heats, held in November each year, and the winners of the heats go on to a National Final, held in spring the following year.
Fourteen nervous Luffa Sixth form students headed to Bournemouth Crown Court on Saturday 19th November to compete against 7 other schools. Our team of barristers, witnesses and court officials were asked to try two cases. After successfully negotiating the heats, the team then progressed through to the final against Peter Symonds College Winchester, prosecuting in the case of R v Sales. It was a closely fought contest with Bishop Luffa School declared winners.
The team, consisting of four barristers: Callum Munday, Alice Jupp, Esme Ash and Alex Taylor, eight witnesses: Sam Peake, Ian Carruthers, Dzifa Kugbega, Megan Wojcik, Josephine Burt, Lorna Sutton, Rosie Little and two court officials: Harriet Clark and Emily Moore impressed not only the members in court, but also the four real judges.
Thanks to the excellent preparation of the team by Mr Thomas, Mr Wensley and Mrs Brown, after a nervous wait, the team were announced winners and will now travel in April to the exciting and somewhat daunting prospect of taking part in the national final which takes place at the Central Criminal Courts, known ‘affectionately’ as The Old Bailey.
Emily Moore