Sponsored by
Pupils excel in mock legal trial
FUTURE legal eagles were guilty of giving great performances in a mock trial competition.
And when the verdict came in Brighouse High School were winners of the contest at Calderdale Magistrates Court.
They beat Rastrick High School, Ryburn Valley High School and Calder High School to go through to the regional finals in Leeds.
The pupils tested their knowledge of the criminal justice system by becoming solicitors, magistrates, witnesses, defendants, legal advisers and ushers for the fictional case.
Their skills were judged by Chief Supt Ian Levitt, of West Yorkshire Police, two local solicitors, a barrister and justices' clerk for West Yorkshire, Peter Sherlock.
As well as picking the winning school, they also gave individual prizes.
Awards and certificates were handed out by Judge Peter Benson.
Calderdale magistrate Susan Procter organised the competition, which is run by the Citizenship Foundation and the Magistrates' Association.
"It was a wonderfully enjoyable day and we saw some great performances. I think some of them are budding actors never mind lawyers," she said.
Brighouse High School law teacher David Bell, who prepared the children along with Howard Gilmour, said: "It is a fantastic reward for the effort the students have put in.
"We could have spent two years in a classroom but they would not have learned as much as they did by doing it themselves."
It has already inspired 14-year-old Fay Jagger, who bagged the best prosecution lawyer prize, to plan a legal career.
"We were all a bit nervous before but then you got into it and forgot your nerves. I want to be a prosecution lawyer because I think it would be very interesting. I want to do law at AS Level when I get into sixth form."
Winners
Best bench, Calder High – Ella McNulty, and Hannah and Joshua Hope-Collins
Best prosecution lawyers, Fay Jagger and Naomi Fuller
Best defence lawyers, Stephen Brimble and David Tooby
Best legal adviser Rowan Simpson
Best defendant, James Lumb
Best witness for the defence, Rachel Seely
Best witness for the prosecution, Olivia Bates
Best usher, Savannah Kelly
Email to a friend
Print this page- A58 crash UPDATE: road now re-open after man hit by car earlier this morning
- Crash on the A58 in Halifax this morning UPDATE: Man in hospital with several broken bones
- Taxi worker dies aged 35 after finishing his shift
- Man suffers serious injuries in accident on M62
- How the new Halifax Central Library will look
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Halifax
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
