PUPILS from a secondary school excelled as magistrates in a mock trial competition – and that's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Led by teachers Natasha Chalmers and Simon Tunmore, 13 pupils from Years 8 and 9 at Ashcombe School went to Redhill Magistrates' Court in March to compete against eight other schools from Surrey and Sussex.
After finished as Surrey's top team in that round, the youngsters then competed with distinction in the regional final in Chatham on May 11, despite encountering an unexpected hiccup along the way.
School spokeswoman Serena Parham said: "The team worked very hard in preparation for defending and prosecuting a mock trial.
"Due to a last-minute change of the draw at these regional finals, the Ashcombe students had to defend a different case to the one they had prepared for.
"Despite the initial shock, the whole team rose to the challenge and performed fantastically, and both the defence and prosecution teams won their cases and beat the opposing school."
The team narrowly missed top spot to go on to the national finals and receive certificates for their achievement.
The competitors were then called upon to showcase their legal talents once more in a school assembly.
