HUMANITIES

VCE LEGAL STUDIES 

STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A ZOOM SESSION WITH THE HONORABLE JUSTICE JANE DIXON OF THE SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA

On Monday 29 March, Year 12 Legal Studies students participated in a ‘one-on-one’ Zoom session with Justice Jane Dixon and her associate Brittany Myers (McKinnon student-class 2008) as part of the court education program of the Supreme Court.

After an insightful introduction by Justice Dixon and the Judge’s Associate, students had the opportunity to ask questions of both the Judge and Brittany to gain a better understanding of the operations of the Supreme Court and our legal system as a whole.

This is what they had to say:

 

Justice Dixon gave wonderful answers to all our inquiries! It was exciting seeing an ex McKinnon student, Brittany, in the position of Judge’s Associate to Justice Dixon, as well. Both explained their experiences within the legal system, including giving us a true insight into the process Justice Jane Dixon experienced in becoming a Supreme Court Judge. Max Burnett

    

I personally learnt a significant amount about the criminal justice system and the processes of sentencing in which occur behind the scenes. Justice Jane Dixon had informatively stated the peculiar processes in which she personally deals with within criminal trials. I directly learnt many new processes which occur within trialing. Shai Rosenbluh

 

I learnt a range of interesting things including Justice Dixon's view on 'Judge Alone Trials'. She said that she thinks they are a good thing and will be interested to see whether after COVID-19, it will be permanently implemented in Victorian legislation. Ella Salfas

 

I learnt that the path to a law career can start at any time, regardless of whether a previous, unrelated degree has been undertaken. Sanjana Kansal

 

The zoom session provided an insightful opportunity for students. My favourite aspect was Justice Dixon's response to whether she believed judge-only trials were suitable for future criminal trialsRyan Borowitz

 

I learnt more about the criminal division of the trial division of the Supreme Court. It seems like a long road to becoming a judge and I just found it really interesting how Judges have an Associate to help them out with their workload. Flynn Healy

 

I've learnt that it's a long difficult road to becoming a Judge of high status. Justice Dixon explained in good detail the harsh realities of her job. Harry Hughes-Smith

 

The intricacies of the court system, especially in regards to sentencing and how the many factors that must be taken into account makes the process very difficult. Zoe James

 

I felt as though Justice Dixon spoke about her journey of entering the legal system well and was able to articulate her knowledge of the law to a high level. We were able to understand the court process to an adequate level and it helped me become more aware of the system. Ben Kupshik

 

I learnt the intricate and dynamic aspects of the Supreme Court as well as gaining an opinion on judge only trials from an experienced and knowledgeable individual within the legal system. Elan Pinhasov

 

What I learnt from the zoom session that we had with Justice Jane Dixon & her associate Britney, was that people from all walks of life can fall into law. Jade Nicholls

 

I found Justice Dixon's view on Judge alone trials in Victoria quite interesting as she could discuss both the pros and cons rather than expressing a clear view. I learnt that judges are appointed by being asked to be a judge rather than applying for the position. Millie Dodos

 

From the meeting with Justice Jane Dixon today, I learnt that being a judge comes with moral dilemmas around sentencing and that judges do their best to make the right decision. Jack Doran

 

Today I learnt about the lengthy process undertaken by Justice Jane Dixon in becoming the judge she is today. I also found it interesting how her associate, Brittany, didn't originally want to do Law, and how it took her a while to decide on this. Brittany’s volunteer work (working with Indigenous people) in Alice Springs helped her realise her passion in this field. Steph Tsitas

 

Sophie D’ambrosio

Legal Studies Teacher