20 law students (both first and second year) took part in the National Bar Mock Trial competition in Reading Crown Court last month. The advocates on the team had to prepare questions to put to witnesses, as well as opening and closing speeches.

The advocates were composed and eloquent in every round, showing remarkable confidence. Witnesses had to learn their statement of facts inside and out in order to stand up to questioning from opposing barristers, they were able to stand their ground when put under pressure, and were adept at thinking on their feet. The clerk and usher had to steer legal proceedings within the courtroom itself, and both spoke firmly and acquitted themselves with finesse. The court reporter diligently listened to the trials and covered the key arguments raised by both sides, providing a concise and accessible summary for anyone the case affected.

Ultimately, the jurors listened to the evidence and decided upon a verdict; a student from a different college commented on how kind and polite our students were in this regard. All of the above was conducted in front of real judges, barristers and solicitors, who scored teams on their performance.

After weeks of hard work and practice, our students overall came second against many other local schools and colleges. All students performed amazingly on the day, and the department are incredibly proud of how far the participants have come since the first practice.

A special thank you should go to Lisa Hotten, Law Subject Tutor for organising practices and supporting students throughout the process. When asked to sum up the experience, Lisa spoke of how proud she was of the hard work that each student had put in, and how fulfilling it was to see the kindness that our students displayed towards others during the competition itself.