2023 YEAR 6 MOCK
TRIAL COMPETITION
The Greater Manchester Magistrates Association held their annual Year 6 Mock Trial competition on the 21st June 2023 at Hemsley House, Salford, Manchester. Fifteen primary schools from all across Greater Manchester entered. Each school was allocated to represent either the prosecution or defence in the case of R. vs Sonia Reed in two simulated court rooms. The charge Sonia faced was one of Harassment with intent to cause alarm and distress via social media after sending malicious text messages to another classmate.
The roles of the solicitors, complainant, defendant, witnesses, ushers, legal advisor, and Magistrates were all played by the students from opposing schools.
Feedback from the Head Teacher of a participating primary school :
"Thanks for the opportunity for our children today. They loved it!
They came back absolutely buzzing. They had a fantastic day.
It’s opportunities like this that might just make that difference in the life chances of our children“
A Presiding Justice from Greater Manchester Magistrates in the Community oversees the proceedings in court.
This year we also ran a sentencing exercise workshop for each school on Cyberbullying to look at the potential consequences of a guilty sentence. Throughout the day other activities were arranged to further engage the students and reinforce key messages around keeping safe in the community. There were exhibits and activities organised by Greater Manchester Police, Travel Safe, British Transport Police and Early Break. In addition, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service provided a fire engine and crew to talk to the pupils in the yard on all aspects of fire safety.
It was a tightly fought competition in both court rooms. The outcome did not depend on the verdict of the trial or whether the defendant was found guilty or not guilty. The judges, all current Magistrates from the Greater Manchester Bench, evaluated each team performance on how well they argued the case and knowledge of the court process. There was also an opportunity for pupils who didn’t want a speaking role to enter the Court Reporter and Court Artist competition.
The students really embraced their court appearance and gave it their all. This year the overall winning team was Well Green Primary School, Hale with Button Lane Primary School, Wythenshawe coming a very close second and taking the Runners Up shield.
For each of the sixteen teams that took part, there was also an award presented by the High Sheriff for the Outstanding Individual Performance.
The student who won the Court Reporter competition was Lois Oldfield from Saint Thomas', CE Primary School, Stockport, and Court Artist was won by Eve Lambert from Denton West End Primary School, Tameside. The High Sheriff visited these schools and presented the awards to the winners personally.
Court Reporter 2023 winner Judges' comments:
This piece flowed well and was written in an engaging, journalistic style. It was a concise report with good stopping power from the first paragraph. The detail within the report generated interest throughout. The judges also liked the use of alliteration in the title 'Hatred and Harassment' and the piece was brought to a clear conclusion with the outcome of the trial, namely the guilty verdict.
Court Artist 2023 winner Judges' comments:
This entry showed a lot of detail and really captured the atmosphere and mood of the court setting. It was clear a lot of effort had gone in to it. There were several elements of court process captured including the Magistrates Bench, a witness giving evidence and legal advisor. The effort to capture the quite complex Royal Coat of Arms was also commended.
The judges said all the entries were a very high standard, and the students should be congratulated. It was clear. considerable effort had gone into the competition. Please pass on our Congratulations and thanks to all the students who took part.
Testimonials from
participating schools:
"Thank you for organising this event and allowing our children the opportunity to take part. It is really worthwhile, and our children benefit greatly. They enjoyed the additional activities provided by the police and other organisations but primarily the trial itself. The whole class enjoyed looking at the case and learning about the court system."
"The day provided such a unique opportunity for the children - it helped to widen their aspirations, challenged them to exceed expectations and gave them an unforgettable experience. "
"The topic of the mock trial was really engaging and interesting for the year 6 children. Linking it to cyberbully and 'banter' made it current but also got the message across that this is crime that can be taken seriously, even if just meant as a joke. Especially when the defendants were found guilty. "
"The opportunity to win team awards and individual awards was a lovely touch with the children can treasure. The special visitor of the High Sheriff made it extra fancy."
High Sheriff awards a Citation to
Greater Manchester Magistrates in the Community team
At the end of this year’s Year 6 Mock Trial Competition, the Manchester Magistrates in the Community team were honoured to receive a citation from the High Sheriff, Mary-Liz Walker "in recognition of so many years of dedicated service to communities across GM by this wonderful group of magistrate volunteers".
The Greater Manchester Magistrates in the Community team are available to talk to students in both Primary and Secondary schools and other interested community groups about the role of magistrates and the law. They have a series of interactive presentations and can run a mock trial in the classroom on a range of different topics including Knife Crime, Cyber Bullying and Choices and Consequences facing young people. For further information or to request a visit please email us at enquiries@gmma-mic.net