Student courtroom drama unfolds thanks to University of Exeter Law Society

Students from West Exe School, part of the Ted Wragg Trust, represented the school at a mock trial recently. 

The mock trial event was run by the University of Exeter Law Society and hosted by the Maynard School.  The students were given some witness statements and then had to prepare and present part of the prosecution’s case against the defendant. 

Despite having never done anything like this before, they did a phenomenal job of preparing an opening statement and writing examination-in-chief and cross-examination questions, all in a very short amount of time.

The event was presided over by a retired Circuit Judge, some circuit judges deal specifically with criminal or civil cases, while some are authorised to hear public and/or private law family cases, and some sit across a range of jurisdictions.  Others may sit more or less on a full-time basis in specialised civil jurisdictions, such as Chancery or as judges of the Technology and Construction Court.   There are currently over 600 circuit judges throughout England and Wales.

The University of Exeter Law Society supports its members from the moment they join their legal community through to graduation and beyond.  They support their members through law school with academic, careers and welfare events, and provide an array of extra-curricular activities such as advocacy, mooting, intramural sport and pro-bono volunteering.  The Maynard School is a leading UK Independent Girls School.

Julie Fossey, Headteacher at West Exe School said:

“I am so glad our West Exe students took part in this mock trial, and I am very grateful to both the University of Exeter and The Maynard School for enabling them to.  We work very closely with both organisations and this is another example of local collaboration which encourages our students to make the most of every opportunity.  I was delighted to hear that the retired Circuit Judge stated that our team was excellent and that we should be very proud of them, because of course,  we are!”

 Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

 “I am delighted that West Exe School is working so closely with the University of Exeter and the Maynard School, it’s brilliant to see all these educational institutions coming together to provide local children with a wide range of exciting learning opportunities.”