Two students from the Grammar School Sixth form in Guernsey have taken home the trophy and top honours in the tenth annual Collas Crill Moot – a mock trial event.
More than 30 students from three of the island’s sixth form schools and colleges took part in the competition in which pairs of students are placed in a mock courtroom trial situation, dealing with fictional scenarios ranging from employment disputes to claims of defamation. All students were coached and judged by lawyers from the event sponsor.
Harvey Falla and Zac Cross from Elizabeth College and Tom Barclay and Elliot Coutu from the Grammar School faced each other in the final.
Michael Adkins, a partner in Collas Crill’s dispute resolution practice and an advocate of the Royal Court, was one of the judges. He said: “For our future lawyers, the Moot teaches the basics of certain aspects of law and provides a fantastic opportunity to experience the drama of the courtroom first hand.”
“It’s also an invaluable opportunity for students to improve their communication, presentation, research and analytical skills, all of which will be valuable in their careers or – more immediately – their further education.”
“It was great to see so many students taking part but Tom and Elliot clinched the title with the clarity and structure of their argument. It was an incredibly close contest as both teams presented excellently and had a great knowledge of the relevant cases.”
Michael, along with colleagues David Jeffery and James Tee, played the judges in the trial.
The winners were marked on a range of things including their court etiquette, persuasiveness, clarity, body language and time-keeping.
