Law students tackle criminal justice

Grade 12 law students from several local school boards will test their mettle in the criminal justice system.

About 100 students will give their opening remarks on Jan. 16 at the Sudbury Court House as part of the 2012 Mock Trial competition, an event that teams of students from nine different area high schools against one another for the right to represent the region at the Northeastern Mock Trial Competition, slated for early March.

Local judges will be involved, and will welcome the new generation of lawyers.

“Students from Sudbury area secondary schools have fully embraced the Mock Trial program,” judge Patricia C. Hennessy said in a press release. “They are taking advantage of the wonderful opportunity of working with local lawyers to experience the inside workings of the criminal justice system. Their enthusiasm and hard work is inspiring.

“Effective criminal trials are the result of hours of preparation on the part of lawyers and witnesses. These students, working under the direction of their law teachers and with additional coaching from the Sudbury Bar, are going through the same process of preparation that lawyers experience daily.”

Participating schools include Confederation Secondary School, Espanola High School, Lasalle Secondary School, Lockerby Composite School, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, Sudbury Secondary School, St. Benedict’s Secondary School, St. Charles College and Collège Notre-Dame.

At this year’s mock trial, students will prosecute and defend the case of Her Majesty the Queen vs. Justin(e) Pieber.

Pieber was charged on Sept. 3, 2011 with unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, contrary to section 95 of the Criminal Code of Canada stemming from an incident that occurred in the city of Yourtown, located in the region of Yourtown.

The two winning teams will participate in the Championship Trial, seeking to win the coveted Hennessy Cup, named after Judge Hennessy, Mock Trial project leader since its inception 11 years ago.

A number of additional awards will be presented - Best Advocate Defence, Best Advocate Crown, Best Witness and the Civility Award for professionalism.

Rainbow District School Board chair, Doreen Dewar, said volunteer coaches from the Sudbury and District Law Association and the Sudbury Crown Attorney’s Office provide hundreds of hours of time to this project every year.

“Through the competition, local lawyers make an invaluable contribution to student learning by bringing the classroom into the courtroom,” Dewar said.. “Many students have been inspired to pursue studies in the legal field after secondary school. We commend the legal community for being exceptional role models for community service and student success.”

The Mock Trial Competition is well established within the Grade 12 law curriculum. In addition to meeting curriculum expectations, mock trials develop other skills in students, including public speaking, teamwork, presentation, preparation and critical thinking skills.

“Students who participate in the Mock Trial project will experience the courts in a unique way,” Hennessy said. “In order to act out each of their roles, they will have to grasp the fundamental principles of courts in a democratic society.

“We believe that all Canadians should appreciate the key role that courts play in society and there is no better way to do this than to have the students experience a trial. Those citizens who understand the criminal justice system will be able to critically analyze news reports of trials and appreciate the consequences of them.”

The Mock Trial Competition will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom A, with an opening address by area judges. (Observers must arrive on time in order to gain entry for this portion of the proceedings.) Trials will continue throughout the day and culminate with the championship trial at 2 p.m. The awards ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.

Regional winners will compete in the provincewide finals in Toronto in the spring.

Posted by Arron Pickard