B6 Students Excel in Bar National Mock Trial Competition

Students from The Sixth Form Bolton are celebrating exceptional achievement in the Manchester Regional Heat of the respected Bar National Mock Trial Competition. This prestigious event was held at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The Sixth Form Law Society team competed as lawyers, witnesses and court staff against eleven other colleges and schools in the North West. The budding lawyers presented cases on a range of real-life scenarios including possession of drugs with intent to supply and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The competition consisted of four rounds for all entrants, all presided over by a working Judge.

The Sixth Form students received excellent feedback and came very close to winning but were sadly pipped to the post by students from Loreto College, who will now compete at the final at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. 

Amongst the students competing for B6 on the day was A Level student Ted Hodson-Fitton.  Ted is currently studying A Level Law, Psychology and Accounting at B6, and said about his experience:

“The mock trial was an experience that I will never forget. It gave me an insight into what working in the legal world would be like and that has only developed my passion more to succeed. It gave me an idea of how lawyers and people associated with law work on a day-to-day basis and made me realise that this could be something for me to pursue.

Coming runner-up against 11 other hard-working and equally determined colleges is a massive achievement and I couldn’t be prouder of my team and teachers that supported us that day. Law will always be competitive whether it be in the real world, in a case, or in a mock trail, so managing to score the second most amount of points is a huge achievement.”

The former Bolton St Catherine’s Academy pupil, speaking of his time in the Law Society said:

“I joined the Law Society to gain an insight into seeing what working in the legal world would look like and that it exactly what it has given me. It has shown me how lawyers would operate daily, and it really interests me. Preparing a case for roughly four months to present in front of real judges and lawyers was an amazing feeling, working in a team to create the best arguments possible was also extremely fun.”

The team was led by Sixth Form Law teachers Helena Taylor and Jennifer Firth, and supported by barrister mentor Joe Allman.  Helena Taylor said:

“The students have all been amazing, we are so proud of them all. The students are extremely appreciative of the help received from barrister mentor Joe Allman, from Lincoln House Chambers. The Bar Mock Trial is a fantastic competition that helps students develop skills of public speaking, teamwork under pressure, performance and thinking on their feet.  It’s been a wonderful experience for all”.

The Sixth Form Bolton offers a wide range of academies, including the Law Society, all designed to help students to develop real world skills to support their future careers. Discover more here.