Ten primary schools from Oldham and Tameside packed Tameside Magistrates Court for the Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association Year 6 Mock Trial competition, where pupils argued a cyberbullying case that mirrored real courtroom drama.

The children split into prosecution and defence teams to tackle a fictional trial about a youth accused of weeks of online abuse and threats against a classmate, behavior prosecutors claimed was calculated to cause serious alarm and distress. Young magistrates—played by the students themselves and guided by a sitting Greater Manchester bench member—delivered the final verdict after hearing each side present its case.

Judges scored teams on clear communication, confident delivery, grasp of their courtroom roles, and understanding of legal procedure. The two top-performing schools now advance to the Greater Manchester final at Salford’s Helmsley House in June.

The Greater Manchester Magistrates in the Community team runs similar interactive sessions for schools, colleges, and community groups across the region, offering talks on how the criminal justice system works and workshops on topical issues including knife crime, cyberbullying, and drug use.

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