Law Society Mock Trial Competition Update
In Term 1, St Patrick’s College Mock Trial team worked on a criminal case for Round 1 of the Mock Trial Competition, which is run by the Law Society of NSW. In the lead up to Round 1, they had several meetings after school on Thursday afternoons. This involved the sharing of knowledge and opinions on the case to develop efficient notes and a clear legal argument.
A special thank you to our legal coach, Anastasia, who assisted us in developing our knowledge of the legal system and relevant case law. She offered a valuable insight on the material that we were required to reference throughout the Criminal case proceedings and we are very grateful for her assistance.
Students preparing for Round 1 with Mrs Conti and their Mock Trial Coach Anastasia
On 5 April, the St Patrick’s College Mock Trial team participated in the first round of the competition against St Paul’s Catholic College in Booragul. The afternoon sessions, the recess and lunch meetings, all culminated in the proceedings that took place that day.
The St Patrick’s team did very well in the proceedings by maintaining their professionalism and integrity throughout. Whilst this case was extremely difficult, the members of the team performed strongly by clearly articulating their version of events and legal arguments.
As the prosecution team, we were required to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused obstructed a railway by deliberately positioning a tree over a train line in the Southern Highlands. During the examination-in-chief and cross-examinations of each witness, the barristers and the solicitor worked hard to ensure that all the objections called were correct.
Mbali J and Ellie F were our barristers for this round, and with assistance from Karli G, our solicitor, worked hard to establish a case against the accused, using supporting evidence from the two witnesses, played by Jamie M and Salome S. Sam S upheld court proceedings through her role as Magistrate’s Clerk, and performed her duties with care.
Thank you to the following students who assisted on the day:
Dakoda L
Kiara M
Caitlin R
Renae L
Maddie M
Steph E
Emma M
The poor internet connection was challenging to navigate and caused many repeated questions and statements, but we overcame the issues caused and did very well in this first round.
Unfortunately, we lost the case and were not able to effectively prove our case. Regardless of this loss, this is being used as an opportunity to learn and further develop our skills and the way that we present our future cases.
Well done to St Paul’s College for winning the case as the defence team. We wish you well for future rounds of the competition.
The students are currently preparing for Round 2 of the Competition which is a civil case involving negligence.
Cassandra Conti - Year 12 Coordinator|HSIE Teacher