What is it?
Prestigious National competition attended by High Sheriff, Judges, Magistrates, Mayors and other VIPs.
Berkshire Heats and Regional Final held in Reading courts.
Develop transferrable skills -public speaking, teamwork and critical thinking in a real Court.
Excellent experience info for CVs and UCAS.
Who Is Involved?
The Competition is coordinated nationally by Young Citizens.
Our Patron is the High Sheriff of the Royal County of Berkshire, Mr Simon Muir.
Berkshire Magistrates organise the running of both the heats and the Berkshire Regional Final.
Magistrates visit schools to help teams prepare.
Who Can Take Part?
Open to teams from all Berkshire State Schools (non fee-paying).
Students in Years 8 or 9. No previous experience of law needed.
Step by step online resources and visits from magistrates to help teams prepare.
The Magistrates Court Mock Trial Competition
The Young Citizens' Mock Trial Competition has run since 1994 and each year involves more than 4,000 students from schools all around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It is a national competition for Year 8 and 9 students with Berkshire Heats and the Regional Final all held at Reading Crown court.
School teams of between 12 and 16 students learn about the criminal justice system by prosecuting and defending a realistic criminal case. It gives students a unique insight into how criminal courts operate.
Many previous competitors have subsequently gone into a career in Law.
Excellent for UCAS and CVs.
The Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition is part of the Young Citizens ‘citizenship experiences’ and helps to improve young people’s life skills.
It enhances their understanding of the justice system and the legal system, and helps them to understand that the law touches every aspect of their lives. It can also develop some of the transferable soft skills which are used every day.
The students take on the various roles in a trial and try a case against another school with the assistance of real life magistrates, legal advisers, court staff and other legal professionals.
Quote from Student participant, Witness, Ranelagh School:
‘I was a witness and I really enjoyed learning my script to be asked questions about it by the opposite half of our team’s lawyer. She was very good at being intimidating and thinking on her feet so I had to really up my game to match her skills. I think I rose to the challenge and I think that this experience has been great for my public speaking and my confidence as I am not naturally a particularly outgoing person but the others on the team are. Overall, this has been great fun and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.’
National Champions - Ranelagh in 2018 and 2019
Support available.
A team of magistrates are available to support and guide schools through the process of entering and preparing the team.
