STUDENTS from Tavistock and Okehampton colleges will get some hands-on experience of the legal system when they compete for a chance to take part in a mock trial at London?s Old Bailey.
The regional round of the Bar National Mock Trial Competition for schools will be held at Plymouth Combined Crown Court on November 8.
Across the country 2,000 students from 160 schools will participate.
The competition, organised by the Bar Council and the Citizenship Foundation, provides a unique opportunity for 15-18-year-old students to gain hands-on experience of the workings of the legal system through playing the parts of barristers, witnesses, court staff and jurors.
School teams compete against one another in mock trials judged by real-life circuit judges, recorders and barristers, with a view to winning a place in the national final to be held at the Old Bailey next March.
The contest is to promote a greater public understanding of the legal system and encourage a broader range of people to join the legal profession.