News & Events - General

At what has been an annual event for over ten years, adult students from Kingston College’s Law School of the Business Faculty, appeared before a judge at Kingston Crown Court earlier this week. The students, studying on the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) course, were playing the role of prosecution and defence barristers at a Mock Trial along with other law students at the College.

The students played all the roles within the courtroom, from barristers to witnesses and jury, and presented the case before His Honour Judge Charles Welchman, one of the circuit judges regularly sitting at Kingston Crown Court.

Of the experience, student Daniela Pridie-Budd 40, from Esher, who took the part of Defence Barrister, commented: “It was an amazing experience and although nerve-wracking was great and so very useful for my future professional practice.”

Judge Welchman commended the students on their hard work in presenting a detailed and complicated case which, after hard battling between the advocates, resulted in one of the two defendants being convicted of one of the charges before the court. Judge Welchman stressed the importance of advocacy training and court experience for law students. He was further impressed by the way the students dealt with the issues and their high standard of delivery in court.

Prosecuting Barrister, 26 year old Carina Giglio from Kingston said: “I did not think I would have the confidence to do it but I am very happy that I did!” Whilst one of the witnesses, Zeena Bhamra 23, from Epsom commented: “I really enjoyed it. I was very nervous but it gave me a good insight in to court procedure.”

David Finch, Head of the Law School – Business and Professional Studies, said: “Our law students really benefit from the advocacy experience in a court before a real judge, which is normally hard for trainees to experience."

Such events are a regular part of the courses for law students at Kingston College who rely on the excellent help and co-operation they receive from Court Manager, Sean O’Brien and his staff at the Crown Court.