A COURTROOM was turned into a classroom as pupils were given a unique insight into a career in law.

Schoolchildren took on the role of a judge, barristers, witnesses and the defendant during an eye-opening lesson hosted by the National Justice Museum.

Around 500 pupils are taking part in the classes to learn more about the criminal justice system and the work carried out by the courts day after day.

It has the backing of his Honour Judge Jonathan Rose, who has allowed the classes to take place at Bradford Combined Court Centre.

Gill Brailey, director of learning at the Nottingham-based National Justice Museum, said the purpose of the lesson is to introduce how the court system works.

“Most of us will only see how the court works if something has gone wrong,” she added.

“It’s really useful for people who are considering a career in this.

“There are young people who want to go into law, but a lot of young people need to understand what these places are like.

“It’s a unique opportunity and there’s nowhere else where you can go into a real courtroom.

“You can tell children in a classroom what a judge does, but when they are sat in there with the wigs and gowns on and are making decisions about somebody, it’s a really interactive learning experience for them.”

The lesson takes the form of a mock trial and saw the children tackle the case of Mary Richardson, a suffragette accused of damaging Velázquez's painting the Rokeby Venus with a meat cleaver in March 1914.

The witness accounts delivered during the mock trial by the children were all part of the real hearing more than 100 years ago.

They were cross-examined before the jury retired to deliberate and eventually find the suffragette guilty of her crimes.

She was sentenced to six months in prison by the judge, played by 14-year-old Sheharyaar Khan, of Bradford Academy.

He said: "It was a great experience.

"My uncle is a solicitor and I knew a bit more about some of the roles in court before coming here."

Iqra Khan, 15, who played the defence barrister, said the lesson had given her the confidence to do more speaking in public.

History teacher Andrew Hughes added: "Anytime you can give people opportunities outside the classroom, it really enriches the experience.

"In a day like this you can really learn a lot more than in an hour lesson about the courts."