Legal Studies Excursion

Legal Studies Excursion – Shepparton Law Courts

On the 23rd of May our year 12 Legal Studies class went to the Shepparton Law Courts to participate in various talks on the roles that are associated with courts. Each talk focused on the importance of the different courts and the roles each court plays. The individuals who help run the courts, along with fixing and creating new laws, play such an important role in today's society. 

The first talk was presented by Marcus Angelino and Josh Chapman who are Registrars at the Shepparton Law Courts. We learned about the job of a Registrar in court, which is to help run the courts smoothly by receiving and processing important court information in relation to court outcomes. Both Marcus and Josh explained their roles and place in the courts and let us ask a wide range of questions. Afterwards we had the opportunity to participate in a mock jury empanelment and go through the roles of juries, including what is involved in the selection of jurors and what to expect upon arrival into a courtroom. 

We were also lucky enough to meet with Justice Chettle, who shared his experience in his roles as a barrister and now a judge. Judge Chettle was a perfect example for our Year 12 students of what court is about and the importance of being a judge or barrister when working in criminal and civil law. We really enjoyed our session with Justice Chettle as he shared an experience with a criminal case involving Matthew Johnson, where he shared a light-hearted moment to try to break the ice in a difficult court room situation. Overall, we were grateful for the opportunity we had and hope students completing Legal Studies in the future are provided with the same opportunity. 

Sarah Warrener