Overview
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the judicial system, its venues and access to senior legal professionals.
Some of you may have already brought a team to one of our Mock Trial Competitions and know how transformative the experience can be for young people. Some of you may have a legal background and are looking for a way to engage young people in the law. Some of you may have no legal knowledge at all but are curious about the law and want to bring it to your classroom. Whatever brings you here, we hope this free classroom pack acts as a springboard for criminal legal education throughout classrooms (virtual or otherwise) across the country.
What’s in the pack?
The pack moves through three ‘phases’:
1. Session One: Courts, Roles and Procedure – Introduces young people to the differences between the Crown Court and the magistrates’ court, the roles of legal bodies and professionals within a courtroom.
2. Session Two: The Case – Students have a go at analysing a case, resources including full witness statements and annotations to support their learning. All students will take on the role of either the prosecution or defence.
3. Session Three: The Mock Trial – The last session culminates in students rehearsing and conducting a mock trial in your classroom.
The classroom pack is designed to be flexible and adaptable. Some activities can be done independently and others are teacher-led. This pack is intended for your whole class. The pack can be used for students in KS3 upwards.
Suggested next steps:
- View the full competition timeline to see when to apply.
- Read the Rules to see what is involved in the competition.
- Explore our FAQ pages to find out more.
More Lessons resources
Taking Responsibility
This lesson is based around the clever traditional poem about four children named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. It introduces children to the idea of taking responsibility in the context…
Conflicting Rights
In this lesson pupils will revisit their knowledge of human rights to consider situations in which people’s rights may appear in conflict with one another. Pupils will debate how they…
The Selfish Little Red Hen
In this lesson pupils will read and discuss the tale of the Selfish Little Red Hen who does not offer her friend any help as she prepares for a party.…
More Politics and Democracy resources
What is a Political Party?
This resource pack is the fourth of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Democracy (Part 1): What is a General Election?
This lesson forms the first part of a three-part unit on Democracy. Pupils explore the meaning of ‘democracy’, and the ways in which citizens can participate in democratic life in…
You Decide! (KS4)
This resource will allow students to critically consider what reasons and ways the government can take to support different...
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Democracy (Part 3): Why Do We Have Laws?
This lesson forms the final part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about democracy and the rule of law. They discover the different roles of parliament, government and…
Children’s Rights
In this lesson pupils will learn that there are specific rights for children which are set out in the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child. Pupils will…
Migration of People
To help you engage your students in the topic of migration Young Citizens have developed a flexible teaching resource...
More KS3 (ages 11-14) resources
What is Democracy?
This resource pack is the first of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Making a Difference From Home
Our packs support KS2 and KS3 pupils to plan and deliver their very own mini social action project. By...
Sentencing Myths (SmartLaw Subscription)
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity or as an extension activity as part of a mock trial…
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Filter Bubbles: Tell Me What I Want To Hear
A “filter bubble” describes how algorithms limit and skew the information users see on the internet. In this lesson,...
Mock Parliament Debate
Aimed at students in KS4 and 5 (13-18 year olds) the pack is designed to be delivered over a...
Climate Action: Circular Economies
During this lesson students explore how the economy can be used to support climate action and create a more...
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Sentencing Guidelines (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson asks students to consider the key findings of a harassment trial and conclude what sentence should be given to the guilty party. During the course of the lesson…
Mock Trials Classroom Pack
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the...
Voting and the General Election
This resource pack is the second of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...