Manx students were given a taste of life in the courts in a bid to inspire the next generation of lawyers, magistrates and legal staff.

This is the second time the Isle of Man Courts & Tribunals Service has created a court mock-up competition.

The event created the opportunity for students to gain insight into the legal profession with an experience that closely mirrored real-life court proceedings.

Students from QEII, Castle Rushen, Ballakermeen, and St Ninian’s High School were assigned a role as either prosecution or defence and tasked with making or opposing mock applications for court bail.

Alexander Armstrong, Legal Officer at the Isle of Man Courts and Tribunals Service, organised the competition and drafted the mock applications.

He said: ‘The students showcased impressive public speaking skills and clearly dedicated significant time to preparing and structuring their arguments.

The mock court event supports students interested in legal careers and runs in conjunction with our primary school and Future Advocates visit programmes.

‘This second mock Court experience continued to offer a glimpse into the work of an advocate, helping students in their career aspirations by enhancing their CVs, and serving as a springboard for work experience in careers as legal professionals.’

In advance of the competition the students received fictional Court papers, an outline of the law regarding bail applications and a video tutorial on how to craft their submissions.

Three magistrates presided over proceedings and a fourth magistrate scored the students with individual feedback on the advocacy skills which are crucial for effectively representing and defending clients' interests.

Advocates Helen Lobb from Wood Law, Michael Miles from Simcocks, Jorden Rafferty-Gough from Cains, and Lawrie Gelling from Hannan Law provided advice to the students on the day.

The competition winner was Oliver Nicholson from Castle Rushen High School.