Fourth Form Mock Trial

Last week, the Fourth Form took part in a Mock Legal Trial with Knights plc.

Each Lessons for Life class were given a side in a case for a non-molestation or occupation order. In groups, they were provided with only one side of the case and had to decide how to act on behalf of their ‘client’. Pupils had to decide whether to accept the non-molestation order, agree undertakings or contest the application for an order.

After discussions, both groups decided to contest and take the trial to court, which would cost a lot of money and for one, risk a criminal conviction. This taught the pupils that, when only faced with one side of the story, it is easy to develop strong opinions which are completely different to someone else’s.

The Family Law Mock Trial is part of the Lessons for Life programme. In their LFL lessons, pupils have been examining different types of relationships and the characteristics of healthy relationships in all contexts (including online) including trust, respect, honesty, kindness, generosity, boundaries, privacy, consent, and the management of conflict, reconciliation and ending relationships. They have also looked at how some types of behaviour within relationships are criminal, including violent behaviour and coercive control.