Hollingworth Academy students to take part in mock trials this week

Students from Hollingworth Academy will take part in mock trials in Manchester

Pupils from Hollingworth Academy will meet judges this week and take part in mock trials in a Manchester courtroom, where they will learn about the justice system and be told: “a legal career is possible for anyone, whatever their background.”

The judges have teamed up with the National Justice Museum to give 284 pupils and students from eight primary and secondary schools across Greater Manchester an insight into the law and how the courts work.

In a series of half-day events at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, children aged 8 to 17 will play roles including defendant, witness, prosecutor, judge and jury in the mock trials, which will be based on real cases of knife crime, cyberbullying and hate crime, as well as cases that involved Suffragettes and Victorian children.

The National Justice Museum usually runs the mock trials at its base in Nottingham, the Royal Courts of Justice in London and across the northwest. However, these gained a new dimension after Midlands-based District Tribunal Judge Mark Angus arranged for them to be held in a real courtroom in Manchester. He and Senior Circuit Judge Philip Glen, who sits in the southwest, are arranging similar events in other towns and cities including Liverpool and Cardiff.

Judge Angus, one of many Diversity and Community Relations Judges in England and Wales, said background should not deter anyone from aiming to become a lawyer or a judge.

He said: “I started my legal career aged 18 working as an administrative assistant at the Crown Prosecution Service. The judiciary always felt totally inaccessible to me as someone who didn’t grow up around barristers and solicitors. The students invited here will hopefully gain a better understanding of the role of the judiciary, learn about the justice system and be encouraged to see that anyone can pursue a career in law whatever their background.”

Gill Brailey, Director of Learning at the National Justice Museum, said: “You can’t match the impact of a young person being in a real court building, having to go through security, knowing there are real legal professionals working there, and dressing up in real wigs and gowns and using a real courtroom. These sessions teach young people about citizenship and the importance of the rule of law. The judges are really inspirational.”

Students will also be told about careers in HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the many different apprenticeships it offers.