Senior School News

Year 11 Legal Studies attend mock trial at Swinburne University

On Wednesday 5 May, the two year 11 VCE Legal Studies classes went on an excursion to Swinburne University to conduct a mock trial. This was a criminal trial and each class had two teams, prosecution and defence. Both classes spent class time creating, preparing and practising their case before the day. We arrived at Swinburne University at 9:30 am, Mr Sheehan’s prosecution team and Miss Poppin's defence started as the first participants of the mock trial while Mr Sheehan’s defence and Miss Poppin’s prosecution undertook a tour of the Swinburne Law School with a final year law student. The mock trial lasted around an hour and a half, and the rest of the time was spent reflecting on our performance and giving us insight into not only the industry but pathways you can select in the legal field. It was a great experience not just for developing our legal skills but giving us an idea of what it is like to work in the field.

After this, we were sent on a tour of Swinburne, (after a much-needed lunch break) where we were able to observe the college as a whole. The facilities, stores, cafes, and everything of the like were very pleasant on the eye, and gave us an insight into what was coming up in the next few years! The mock trial was definitely a great advantage of being enrolled in a VCE subject, and for anyone who is considering enrolling in one for next year, I would say go for it! The mock trial experience is like one of their real practice courtrooms, and the feedback you receive from trained judges is articulate and precise. Overall, the actual trial experience was incomparable to the possibility of presenting our case materials in class. We received direct feedback from trained lawyers after our presentations and participated in a professional area, a moot court, where Swinburne law students would often practice. The tour experience was equally as valuable, gaining a better understanding of campus life and sitting in some of the rooms where university students’ study all while having a knowledgeable tour guide all added to the experience. I would for sure say that the excursion to Swinburne University was one to not forget and an interesting and valuable experience overall.

Tarana Kaur (10C), Allan Shadfar (10F) and Bella Cidoni (10B)