The Citizenship Foundation and the Bar Council of Northern Ireland congratulated schools across Northern Ireland which worked hard last year to build their arguments and analyse their case before adopting the roles of barristers, witnesses and juries to run cases live in front of senior members of the Bar and the judiciary.

St Dominic’s won the Belfast Heat in the Royal Courts of Justice on 19 November, and Hazelwood won the North West Heat on 10 December.

Liam McCollum QC, chairman of the Bar Council and a competition judge, said: “I want to congratulate all the students who took part in the Bar Mock Trial Competition, the standard was exceedingly high and the level of work and dedication from the pupils and their teachers was clear to all the judges.

“The Bar is pleased to welcome the Mock Trial Competition each year but 2016 was especially important as it marked the 25th anniversary of a project which gives pupils an innovative perspective of the justice system and its processes.

“Many thanks to the members of the Bar and judges who volunteer their time and who without the competition would be impossible to run.”