Humanities News

Year 9 and 11 Legal Studies Incursion 

Constable (and MCA Old Boy) Daniel Cranitch gave up his time in the last week of school to address the Year 9 and 11 Legal Studies students on his role as a Police Officer in the Queensland Police Service. Year 9 Legal Studies students have been studying the importance of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld). They gained further insight on how this is used daily in Daniel's role as a Police Officer. Year 11 Legal Studies students have been focusing on Sentencing, so they were able to understand how this is relevant for the Queensland Police Service. Thank you to Daniel for giving up his valuable time and for allowing us to also meet your police dog, Enzo.

Student Reflections:

Written by Oliver Bishop

On Thursday of Week 10, the Year 9 and 11 Legal Studies classes had the pleasure of meeting Officer Dan, a Marist Old Boy and Police Officer, and hearing what he had to say about how he uses the Criminal Code Act of 1899 on a day-to-day basis and other interesting things about his job. Dan said that although he didn't know the whole criminal code, like most officers, he had to use it quite regularly. By simply answering questions from civilians while on duty or having to use his knowledge of it in court, he said he was quite familiar with some sections of it and told us that it was something that he needed to know to be a police officer. All the boys enjoyed hearing about someone who had to use the criminal code in real life and were fascinated by the stories of first-hand incidents where he had to recite some sections. Overall, everyone learnt a lot from Officer Dan and greatly appreciated his time and information which he shared with the group of legal students and teachers.

Written by Fletcher Wessling

Last term, the Year 9 and 11 Legal Studies classes were visited by local police officer Daniel Cranitch, who is also an Old Boy of MCA. Mr Cranitch graduated in 2014 and for a while did not know what he wanted to do with his life, but he had family in the police force, so he joined prior to his 23rd birthday. Originally, Daniel was stationed at Hendra PD, but was recently posted to the Fortitude Valley PD. During his presentation, Daniel explained how written law impacts his job, how often he goes to court and what the processes are should we decide to join the Police Force after we graduate. Daniel also brought in his police dog! In conclusion, Daniel Cranitch's visit was both informative and engaging and provided us all with a valuable insight into the legal system.

Year 11 Legal Studies

On Thursday 20 April, Year 11 Legal Studies visited the District and Supreme Courts. The students were blessed to have not one, but two MCA Old Boys Judges present to them. Judge Nathan Jarro and Justice Terry Gardiner spoke to them about their roles as barristers and them becoming judges. In addition, students were also fortunate to chat with Damien O'Brien, KC President of the Bar Association of Queensland on his career journey and what a typical day is like as a barrister. The day finished off with a library research lesson conducted by Katrina Lee. This will assist students in formulating their upcoming research assignment. It was an interesting and informative day had by all, and the boys even managed to make an appearance on the news that evening.

Student Reflections:

Written by Sam Ferraro

Last Thursday 20 April, the boys of Year 11 Legal Studies went on a trip to the courthouse in Brisbane city. We started the day with a talk by Marist College Ashgrove Old Boys, Judge Jarro and Judge Gardiner, and then went into many live courtrooms to experience the workings of the legal system of Queensland. We even met up with a few Marist Old Boys along the way who have become law students, judges, and barristers. We finished up the day with a research activity to help aid us in our research assignment that has only just been handed out in class. All the boys went home with a smile on their faces and a story to tell about our experience in court.

Written by Ryan Murdoch

On Thursday 20 April, the Year 11 Legal Studies class, including Miss Taylor and Mrs Franklin, went on an excursion to the Queensland Supreme Court. The purpose was to research court proceedings and elements of court cases for use in the Term 2 assignment. With talks from two Old Boys, Judge Jarro and Judge Gardiner, the Year 11 class learned about the court proceedings and the decisions judges have to make in both the District and Supreme courts. The Year 11 class also witnessed a variety of trials, ranging from criminal cases, including assault and riots, and civil cases involving monetary disputes. The day was finished off with a research session in the courts' library, including instructions from librarian Katerina Lee, who helped the boys with understanding how to approach research. The boys are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to experience what court is actually like and to see the Queensland legal system in action.