HUMANITIES

EXCURSIONS TO THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS - VCE LEGAL STUDIES

This term has been an exciting one for VCE Legal Studies students. Our Year 11 classes participated in several trips to the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court, while one of our Year 12 classes visited the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.

During these excursions, students had the opportunity to meet with Magistrates and a member of Victoria Police. These experiences were invaluable in placing classroom learning into a real-life context. Looking ahead to next term, our three other Year 12 classes will be heading into the city for excursions to the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Below are some reflections from some of our students:

Mrs Angela Masterson

Key Learning Area Manager - Humanities 

VCE Legal Studies Teacher 

During the eighth week of the term, the Year 11 legal studies classes had the opportunity to go to the Magistrates’ Court in Dandenong, complementing what we’ve been learning in class about criminal law. I think we were all excited for this excursion, not only because we’d be seeing the reality of a small part of the Australian legal system, but also because of the pre-conceived ideas we have of courts from (mostly) American dramas.

Without having entered a courtroom, I was buzzing from my first taste of the building. I saw people in suits, carrying briefcases and an anxiety-inducing amount of paperwork. During the few hours that we were there we were allowed to go into any of the courtrooms, but the majority of us spent most of our time in one of them - which the Magistrate inside told us was a specialist court: Drug Court, which sentences participants to a period of imprisonment that they serve in the community, with a large focus on rehabilitation.

It was incredible to see how it all unfolded. There was a representative from Legal Aid, as well as a gentleman who spoke on behalf of the Victorian Police - and an actual police officer sitting in the front row. We heard the recommendations of the police regarding the man being considered for the program, and mention of the crimes he’d been tried for in the past.

It all happened with the man in question flanked by police and sitting in what was essentially a large glass box in the corner of the room. Seeing him and his reactions to the proceedings made everything feel far more sombre, and very real. It made me appreciate the officials who work these cases every day, who sort through endless papers, who look at all the evidence, who make judgements that can permanently alter lives. It’s an intense field to work in and seeing it come to life was both fascinating and sobering.

Ultimately, it was a great experience that gave me more of an understanding of the field of law, and a renewed interest in being a part of that world.

Alex Rhode, Year 10 

The most interesting thing I saw was probably how the whole court process played out as a whole. It was great to be able to apply knowledge/theory to real life scenarios outside of the courtroom as it gave me a deeper understanding of how the hearing and trial system actually work. I found that it was also interesting in the way that it humanised the people involved in the process - in particular the accused - as normally we just see these cases as statistics or as the sanctions that are imposed on them, not as actual people. 

I learnt from Detective Senior Constable Arena that the majority of the sexual offences and child abuse investigation team cases are long and complex and that sometimes justice unfortunately cannot be served to victims through the court processes. I also learnt that there is a lot of training and qualifications involved in her job (which makes it one of the most important areas of VICPOL) and that it can be rewarding at times when justice is served.

Sabrina Vitiello, Year 12 

The Year 11 Legal Studies excursion was an opportunity to see different cases being heard in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court. 

Our class was the only group of Year 11 students to have a chance to sit down, interact and talk to a Magistrate who explained his job and why he chose to work in law. He explained the different factors of his job and what led to him becoming a Magistrate. He let us sit in different places around the courtroom, with a few of us, including me, being able to sit on the Magistrates’ chair at the top of the courtroom. 

After this we got to listen to different cases being heard in the courtrooms. It was interesting to see how the Magistrates aimed to rehabilitate and support some offenders, rather than applying harder sanctions based on their different circumstances such as mental health conditions. 

This excursion benefited me as it allowed me to visualise the proceedings of a court case and how the court structure and participants are involved. This excursion was overall very tiring as it required a lot of focus to understand and apply all we had learnt within class to an actual court proceeding, but it was very interesting and worth the trip as we got to eavesdrop and listen to exciting cases. 

Lily Heenan, Year 11

One thing that changed my view of the role of a Magistrate was how much less formal the courtroom environment was than I expected. Magistrates did not wear wigs or robes but instead wore suits. This made them seem less like distant authority figures and more like real people who still have an important responsibility but can understand the people who come before them.

One thing I learned is that police work and criminal investigations can be very emotionally demanding. While it can be rewarding to help people and solve cases, there are also times when investigations are confronting or dangerous. Detective Arena also explained that sometimes cases do not end with the outcome that police hope for, which can make the work even more challenging. Overall, the experience made me really reflect about the hard work of the police system and the various processes involved in it. 

Maleesha Dharmadasa, Year 12