After spending months preparing questions, speeches, and witness statements, the Bishop Luffa mock trial team finally went to the local heat in Worthing, to present their case, competing against three other schools.
The case was R v Young, in which the defendant, Alex Young, had been accused of stealing an iPhone X. Our team was very nervous, but after looking around the courtroom they soon started to feel at home. In the first round we were defending, and the team were incredible! In the end it was impossible to convict Young, thanks to the doubt created by our defence lawyers and the witnesses.
After lunch, we had a tour of the cells underneath the court, which was very intimidating! But before long, it was time for our second round, where we were prosecuting. Our team performed very well, presenting a strong case against the defendant. However, it was the matter of identification that swung the magistrates in Young’s favour.
At the end of the day we had a Q&A session, with many Law experts including the barrister Shaun Wallace (from The Chase) and even the High Sheriff herself, feathered hat and all!
We were hanging off the edge of our seats for the verdict, but were finally pronounced the winners of the Local heat for the second year in a row! We travelled home in the minibus, singing and having a great time, but also with a brand new confidence for the new case for the Regional heat. It was an incredible day, and gave each member of the team many brand new experiences that they will carry for the rest of their lives!
Amenie Groves (10Story)