Opening the door to our legal futures

Established in 1991 by the national education charity Young Citizens, the Magistrates’ Mock Trial Competition introduces young people aged 12-14 to the legal system as they take on the roles of those involved in a magistrates’ court trial – including lawyers, witnesses, legal advisers and magistrates. The competition helps students to develop key skills like critical thinking, teamwork and public speaking as they use specially written criminal cases to prepare legal arguments to prosecute or defend in a real courtroom setting. 

Ruvimbo Gore is a Law (LLM,LLB) student at the University of Law who judged the students’ participation in the regional finals. She explained the importance of this: ““I think participating in this programme can open up the students’ perspectives of the law in practice. Academia is always quite rigorous whereas when we’re doing practical work, we’re able to put what we’ve learnt into practice, so it makes more sense. Sometimes you don’t fully understand what you’re learning until you do it.”

Gina Galloway, Delivery Manager for the Court Clerks at Croydon Crown Court, who has been involved with the competition for many years, added “I think coming into the courtroom straight away puts a reality into it for the pupils as it’s different to a schoolroom.” 

Building skills and confidence

Benjamin, a student who acted as a defendant during the competition, described the experience:

Dawn Gibbons, a Justice of the Peace Magistrate for south-west London who served as lead magistrate at the event, spoke about the importance of representation: “The bridge between academia and the justice system isn’t as wide as it was when I was at school. You can now see people that look like you – whether male, female, disabled, black or brown, all the protected characteristics. That’s open justice, anybody should be able to apply and fit in. We are a judiciary for the 21st century.” 

Inspiring the next generation

This year’s competition saw pupils from Bishopston Comprehensive School in Wales win the top prize at the London regional final, held at Croydon Crown Court on 14 June.  

Polly, a student from Bishopston who acted as lead prosecution lawyer, said: “It’s really great because we have never done this before as Bishopton School, so to get to the final and win it is just great. I think this experience will definitely help inspire some people to think about different careers in law as aside from a lawyer, there’s roles such as magistrate and legal adviser.” 

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, who volunteered as a lead magistrate on the day, highlighted his own experience in entering the justice system: “My background wasn’t in law at all. I was an engineer during my professional career, but I decided to volunteer as a magistrate and did this once every two weeks over 20 years. I’ve learnt that there are many different parts to criminal justice that are accessible and many different ways of moving through those career opportunities. It goes way beyond being a lawyer, barrister or judge and certainly my perception is that people really enjoy those careers and find them really satisfying.” 

The partnership between HMCTS and Young Citizens has seen thousands of students participate in mock trials competitions over the years. HMCTS provides funding and venues, while staff volunteer their time to help organise the events. This forms part of HMCTS’ wider outreach programme to raise awareness of different roles and career opportunities across the justice system, making legal careers more accessible and appealing to young people from all backgrounds. 

Ashley Hodges, Chief Executive of Young Citizens said: “All citizens should understand how our institutions work and the role they play in their everyday lives. Unfortunately, these powerful systems are often shrouded in mystery, and youth trust in our leaders is at an all-time low. That’s why we need to inform and involve young people through immersive programmes like the Mock Trial Competitions. They are a chance for students to acquire knowledge and flex their skills in an inspiring and welcoming environment, hopefully sparking the next generation of legal professionals.”