STUDENTS from St Albans RC High School have won the annual Magistrates’ Court mock trial competition in Newport this week.

The competition aims to create a realistic impression of how a court case works, with pupils playing the roles of magistrates, lawyers, court staff, witnesses and the defendant in a specially written court case for the contest. St John’s on the Hill from Chepstow and two other schools from Gloucestershire and Bristol also took part in the event at Newport Crown Court on Saturday.

Gwent Magistrate Steve Lucas said: “The competition between the four schools was a hard fought fight both in enthusiasm and determination, with St Alban’s triumphant at the end.”

The Britain-wide event, which has been running since 1994, is organised by the Magistrates’ Association and the Citizenship Foundation as an “effective way of helping young people understand how the legal system works”.

Christine Thomas, a law teacher at St Alban’s said: “The students learn so much, not only about court and how that works, but it’s speaking in public, confidence building and teamwork.” This competition is responsible for a number of students I know who went onto study law.”