Our students have recently had a unique experience with amazing insight into the legal profession and procedures of a courtroom.

Fourteen students from the Netherhall Sixth Form attended this year’s Cambridge and Peterborough Bar Mess Mock Trial, which took place at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday 23^rd June 2010.   Our students joined with students from The Stephen Perse Sixth Form to take part in a prestigious event involving leading representatives from the legal world.  We were all very lucky to have a famous judge in this case: the eminent criminal barrister, Karim Khalil QC.

The students took on a wide variety of roles in the courtroom: a variety of witnesses, the accused, members of the jury, court clerk, usher and defence barristers.   Some of these roles required close reading and acting skills; other roles required excellent organisation and the ability to cross-reference multiple pieces of complex information.

Students were able to use the original legal papers from genuine criminal cases (with all names changed, of course) to form the basis of the trial and all the legal team were issued with extracts from the enormous ‘Archbold’ legal reference book, so they could back up their ideas with real points of law.

The case was quite a complex one, with two defendants ‘Smith’ (Adam Bond, Netherhall) and ‘Roberts’ (Harriet Baker, Stephen Perse L6th) who were charged with possession of class A drugs and also the intent to supply.  The case was laid out before the court, witnesses were called and cross-examined, the accused parties gave their evidence and finally the barristers summed up their cases with closing speeches.

Our defendant ‘Smith’ pleaded guilty to possession but the jury was convinced by the prosecution’s argument that the amount he was holding was, beyond reasonable doubt, for supply.  The defence team had worked hard to get him off the hook, with Charlotte Bowden-Pickstock receiving a commendation as an outstanding defence speaker.  However, even her oration wasn’t enough to prevent ‘Smith’ being given a 7 year minimum custodial sentence by the judge!

Our team were very grateful to receive guidance during their preparations from a team of volunteer barristers from the Cambridge and Peterborough Bar Mess and we would like to thank them for their time and guidance.

We would also like to thank Karim Khalil, His Honour Judge Hawkesworth, who kindly allowed use of his court, and Sally Hobson, for making this fascinating and unique experience possible.

Matt – the Court Clerk

Reyshandrao and Callum – Court Artists

Claudia  - Opening for the Defence

Charlotte and Adam – Defence Barristers

Abimbola – Court Usher

Karim Khalil QC and Simon Armitage, head of Stephen Perse Sixth Form