The Law Club programme, which has been running since 2016, seeks to teach young people about their human rights as well as promoting the law as a career path.

Solicitors and trainees from RDJ LLP volunteered their time to mentor and prepare the students for the mock trial, which dealt with rights to education, religion, and freedom of expression.

The students from Trinity Comprehensive School made up the first of four classes which will take part in the Law Club programme this year.

“At the core of the law centre’s work is promoting access to justice in Ballymun,” Sandra Mpanyira, project officer at Ballymun Community Law Centre, told Irish Legal News.

“For people to be able to access justice, they need to know their rights, and to know when their rights have been violated and when they need recourse.”

She added: “And while having a grasp on human rights and how the legal system works is an important part of why we do this, what is really the most important is having the students see the positive side of the law, in terms of career choices and how it can empower them.”

RDJ LLP associate Matthew Wallace, solicitors Isabelle Mannix, Annmarie Buckley, Daisy Magahy and Leanne Connell, and trainees Matthew Mulrooney, Rob O’Daly and Ciara Hurley oversaw the first Law Club class.

Some of the volunteers received training through the Law Society of Ireland’s Street Law programme, led by John Lunney, which also developed the mock trial scenario.

The next class, following the mid-term break, will be led exclusively trainees who have been trained under the Street Law programme.