Bar Mock Trials
2 teams took part in Bar Mock Trials at Birmingham Crown Court
For many years, Rugby High has entered teams for the Citizenship Foundation's Bar Mock trials, a national legal competition designed to raise young people's awareness about the legal process, to give them a chance to adopt the roles of legal professionals and to experience a trial in a crown court - on the right side of the law!
Rugby High has had an excellent tradition of success with students performing very professionally after rigorous preparation and practice. A number of ex-bar trials students have gone on to study and practise law - some at a very high level. This year, we again entered teams in two trials, one involving a tricky question of whether the defendant intimidated a witness in an upcoming trial and one about whether an irate person who assaulted a neighbour having a noisy get together with friends acted in self-defence or not.
Miss Danks coordinated the team and the trip to Birmingham Crown Court on Saturday, 19th November and the teams were expertly trained by veteran bar mock trial coach and former career lawyer Mr. "Dad" Danks over a ten week period.
Miss Danks and Mr. Danks would like to congratulate this year's excellent team. They were fully committed to the process throughout the preparation period, put in a great deal of their own time as well as attending the practice sessions and made terrific progress. In the competition, all three teams performed consistently well. They even stood in during a further two rounds when a team dropped out at the last minute: we didn't want anyone experiencing the same frustration that we did two years ago when a team dropped out in our group and we didn't have a chance of winning the competition! Dad Danks and Miss Danks were very proud of the team's excellent performance. Although they didn't get to the regional final on the day, they impressed the judges and their opponents and showed themselves to be excellent participants in courtroom procedure (although we don't want anyone from the team to be a defendant in court standing trial for ABH as one member of our team very convincingly represented!).
The RHS students were a pleasure to work with over the ten weeks' preparation period and to take out to Birmingham on Saturday. The students who participated are listed below and we say to them a huge well done all!
Finally, Rugby High School says a fond farewell to Dad Danks who has coached bar trials teams expertly during eleven competitions - twice helping them to reach the regional final and once the national final at The Old Bailey. Mr. Danks has always been patient, encouraging and kind but has used his expert legal knowledge and teaching skills to train the students thoroughly and to insist on the highest standards - whilst making sure there were plenty of laughs during the process too! Dad Danks' help has been invaluable and we thank him very warmly for his hard work and complete reliability as he "retires" from the role of bar mock trials coach.