College raise the 'Bar' as they get through to National Competition

Peterborough Regional College are through to the Bar National Mock Trial Competition, an event based around making young people aware and respect the law, justice and democracy in association with the Citizenship Foundation. 

The competition is now in its 19th year and has 200 schools from around the country competing. Students take on the role of barristers, advocates, witnesses, court staff and jurors and then re enact cases for prosecution and defence for two specially written criminal cases. They are then judged by legal professionals on their performance and hopefully move on to the next heat.

Public Services tutor at the college, Frances Jackson, had to write an essay as to why PRC should be accepted into the competition. She is thrilled to be able to take her students studying the BTEC National Diploma in Public Services;

“It’s quite an achievement to get in to the competition and I am really looking forward to breaking the news to my students as soon as they come back in September! I have the case scenarios through now and can’t wait to get rehearsing. Doing this is a great way of teaching the elements of my course for example understanding the law, police powers and the criminal justice system in a fun and different way. “

The students will have to have both sides of the story thoroughly prepared as the judges will pick on the day what part they need to play at the first heat which will be held in Nottingham in November, with the finals taking place in London next year.