Douglas law firm Simcocks Advocates ran its annual partnership with schools initiative for a seventh time this year, featuring an essay competition for A level and International Baccalaureate students interested in a career in law. 

Advocates and trainee advocates of the company visited high schools in the island earlier this year to launch the competition.

Students from Ramsey Grammar, St Ninian’s, Castle Rushen and King William’s College entered the writing competition, responding to one of the following questions:

1, Is the jury system best way to try serious criminal charges?

2, At what point should an embryo be considered capable of having feelings, and abortion forbidden?

A spokesperson for the Ridgeway Street firm added: ‘The essays have been read and marked and we are pleased to announce that the winning entry was written by Libby Delaney from St Ninian’s High School, who wrote a sophisticated discussion on the subject of trial by jury. 

‘She has been presented with a £500 voucher prize, and is keen to take a work experience placement at the company later this year.

‘Libby is considering a career in law, and is well prepared to “perform” in front of a jury, as she recently starred as Tinkerbell in the Parker & Snell production of Wendy and Peter Pan at the Gaiety Theatre.’

Simcocks’ head of litigation Chris Brooks, who marked the essays and met Libby after her win, spoke about his involvement in the partnership with schools initiative: ‘It’s always a pleasure to see the enthusiasm, intelligence and innovation displayed by sixth-form students in responding to these essay questions.

‘If the entries I have read are an indication of the calibre of our future advocates, I feel very positive about the next generation, and Libby in particular is a very impressive young person.’