Aspiring legal eagles have starred in their own courtroom drama as teenage school pupils donned traditional wigs and gowns in a quest for justice.
Pudsey Town Hall’s old courtroom saw 20 Year 10 pupils, from Crawshaw School, in Robin Lane, Pudsey, take part in a mock criminal trial in a bid to give them a hands-on taste of life in the legal profession.
Organised by school sponsor and local law firm Pudsey Legal, the trial, which saw Coun Mick Coulson (Lab, Pudsey) get into character as the judge, gave the youngsters the chance to play parts in a scripted theft case.
Pudsey Legal’s event came as part of the school’s Make the Grade initiative, run by the Ahead Partnership.
Project coordinator at the Ahead Partnership Sophie Nesworthy said: “They got really into it – they were even adding bits on to the script.
“It’s about teaching them about the legal side and different legal positions within that.”
Ahead of the trial the teenage pupils visited Pudsey Legal’s offices, in Bradford Road, where they met lawyers, went through information on the case and were designated roles as barristers, jurors, witnesses and more.
Coun Coulson, who embraced the part of judge in the case, said: “This is a really innovative initiative and a great opportunity to really understand what goes into a legal trial.”
The three-year partnership with the school sees pupils learn about the world of work.
Nigel Beck, from Pudsey Legal, said: “This initiative has allowed all our staff to become enthusiastically involved with the various projects we have taken part in – the mock trial has been particularly enjoyable.”
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