Budding lawyers from Loreto Grammar School in Altrincham had their day in court when they picked apart the arguments of top school teams from across the North West to win a prestigious competition.
The young women donned wigs and robes for a special insight into the machinations of the British justice system for a day of heated cross-examination at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.
The Sir Rhys Davies Schools Mock Trial competition, which is named after one of the city’s most respected judges who led the fight against witness intimidation in the 1990s, saw teams from 12 top independent and state schools from across the North West argue a series of cases. The Loreto girls even had to defend a horse thief named Dixon Turpin.
The competition saw more than 120 students take on the roles of barristers, jury members, defendants, witnesses, ushers, clerks and court reporters under the watchful eye of a team of professional judges who sit on the Manchester circuit.
Lorna Phillips, 17 one of the Loreto’s team of four barristers who wants to pursue a career in law, said: “It proved that you have to have an eye for the smallest detail.”
Elizabeth Reeves said: “No matter how small the case or insignificant the person everyone deserves a defence.”
Sarah Millington, Loreto Grammar School’s Head of Social Sciences who supervised their day in court, added: “It’s a unique opportunity for young people thinking of entering the Law to work alongside professional lawyers and judges and get an insight into the working life of the courts.”
The full team was Lucy Devine, Megan Prigmore, Julia Morton, Claudia Hall, Emilia Bottomley, Nia Thomas, Alice Madden, Caitlin Stiles, Roisin Delaney, Elizabeth Reeves, Anna Hanna, Caoimhe O’Herlihy, Geortgina Staunton, Imogen Gosling, Lorna Phillips and Aislinn Fleming.
