The event, supported by the MiniTrials initiative, aims to promote legal education by guiding pupils through court process to learn about the Scottish legal system.

Mark Mohammed KC presided over proceedings as sheriff and helped pupils navigate the trial procedure.

He said: “It was a pleasure to be involved in this MiniTrial and preside over proceedings. The mock trial gave pupils a chance to learn about the criminal justice process in an interactive environment, analysing evidence and presenting a case, which will help to improve their critical-thinking and public-speaking skills.

“The aim of the MiniTrials initiative is to demystify the legal system and hopefully encourage pupils who might not otherwise have considered it to pursue a career in law. I would encourage other schools to give it a try.”

Pupils hailed the mock trial as an excellent learning experience.

S3 student Dougal said: “Mark Mohammed was very helpful in talking us through the legal process and engaging the group. The case was an interesting introduction to legal practice, allowing us to try multiple new skills in the legal area such as questioning and public speaking.”

Fellow S3 pupil Sadie added: “I really enjoyed the mock trial and thought it was a very good learning experience. It has made me think more about potentially doing a law degree at university in the future.”

Guidance and materials are available from the MiniTrials website.