Derby's Legal Eagles Win National Contest

Date posted: 3 July 2012

Law students from the University of Derby beat 23 other UK teams in a prestigious national competition to test their courtroom skills.

The Blackstone's National Criminal Advocacy Competition tests Law degree students' ability to present bail applications, challenge witnesses and act as defence or prosecution barristers in life-like court trial situations.

After many months of elimination heats involving 24 UK universities' law schools the final of the contest was a mock Crown Court sexual offences trial, with the University of Derby acting as 'defence' and the College of Law Manchester as 'prosecution' - with Derby winning the trial by jury and the whole contest.

The victory in the final means that the Derby student team of Maurice Lister and Sarah Pyle - respectively second year and third year LL.B Law (Hons) students - also won work placements with top criminal law chambers 4 Breams Buildings of London (who also sponsored the contest), £250 worth of Oxford University Press vouchers and copies of textbook Blackstone's Criminal Practice.

David Hodgkinson, University of Derby Senior Law Lecturer and LL.B Skills Module Leader, said: "I am very proud of Maurice and Sarah for all the hard work they've put in.

"For the final against College of Law Manchester they had to put together a trial defence, handling witnesses and challenging the prosecution, in front of a panel of real judges, and a jury who eventually came back with a unanimous 'not guilty' verdict.

"We prepare our Law students for the very real situations they will face during their future careers. Ken Aylett, Senior Counsel at 4 Breams Buildings, where the students will undertake their work experience, said Derby's winning team was at 'the standard of practising barristers now'."

The Blackstone's National Criminal Advocacy Competition final stage was held at the weekend (June 29-July 1) at the University of Hertfordshire.