THIRTEEN teenagers from Tavistock College are heading for the heart of the British legal system this weekend, as they represent the South West in a prestigious national ?mock trial? competition.
The 13 sixth form students won the regional finals of the competition at Plymouth Crown Court, after they beat off stiff competition from three-times regional winners Colyton Grammar School.
They now take their legal campaign to the capital, as they play all the key roles in a fictional case at the Old Bailey in London.
Tim May, who acts the part of the accused, said: ?I?m charged with throwing a can of paint at the window of ?Macburgers?. The receipt for the can of paint found in my pocket is pretty hard to explain, but I?ve come up with a few ideas that will give the opposition barristers a bit of a headache! I don?t expect to crack under cross-examination.?
The team includes a court bailiff and usher, six jurors, advocates and witnesses, will be competing against 15 other schools from all over the UK, in the intimidating atmosphere of the central criminal court. They will act their roles, complete with wigs and gowns, before high court judges. If they get to the final, their performance will be judged by the Lord Chief Justice himself.
Advocate Ella Curnow said: ?We?d like to win and we think we have a good chance, but it will be exciting just to be there and experience the atmosphere.?
Advocate Sarah Riley said the team was not intimidated by the event.
?We?ve had fun so far and we want to keep it that way,? she said. ?Even the Lord Chief Justice is a person behind the wig and gown, and all the judges so far have been really great.?
The competition has been organised by the Citizenship Foundation and partly funded by the judges themselves. Tavistock College has received sponsorship from Nash and Co, a Plymouth firm of solicitors.
Liz Rowe, head of English, said the school was grateful for such much needed support. She said the main object of the competition was to promote understanding of the judicial system and that many of the students hoped to go on to study law when they left school.
John Wyatt, managing partner of Nash and Co, said: ?We are delighted to support Tavistock College in this competition. They have done incredibly well in gaining a place in the final and hopefully will go on to win.?