Bar Mock Trial Competition - February 2023

On Saturday 4th February, Year 10 and 11 students making up the Bar Mock team travelled to Oxford Crown Court for the Bar Mock Trial Competition. It was the first time Calthorpe Park School had participated for a number of years, and the students were excited and eager to show what they could do. And they didn’t disappoint!

The competition provides an opportunity for students to participate in a mock trial, providing an educational experience to remember. It allows them to gain insight into the justice system and aspects of a criminal trial, whilst also taking place in a real court in front of real judges. The members of the team play a range of trial-based roles – both prosecution and defence barristers, witnesses, defendant, court clerk, usher and jury members.  The team rehearses by practising against each other, but on the day, they compete against the opposing counsel from a different school/college.

The students worked hard on learning their statements and being ready for any possible question posed under duress, with the barristers required to write opening and closing speeches along with a range of questions to put the witnesses and defendant on the spot. Both our court clerk and usher need to know the systems and routines of a real court, with jury members required to listen carefully to only the evidence raised on the day and not form their judgement based on their overall knowledge of the case ahead of the competition. The students experience two different cases so have two sets of statements and evidence to learn.

It was great to watch the team support each other throughout the day, helping one another practise and offering words of encouragement. They all showed such motivation and focus, and we were immensely proud as we watched them go onto win the regional heats! After competing in the morning’s round of cases, we were through to the day’s final in the afternoon. This was a school we had previously come up against and it had got rather heated in the courtroom (which was brilliant to watch, with the judge commenting on what a great experience it had been). Again, the team went for it, and there was a great deal of excitement as we heard that Calthorpe Park School were the winning team.

We are now through to the National Finals, which will take place in the next few months. It really was a brilliant day, and one of the judges even commented that he would be very proud if the barristers he trains demonstrated the skill he had seen on that day.

We look forward to taking the students to the finals and say a huge well done.

Members of the winning team are:

Year 11 - Jasmin H and Joshua N

Year 10 - Anisa R, Lillia N, Anna W, Jay G, Esme I, Khahelia C, Ellie R, Louisa M, Jonnie D and Luna C