Legal Studies

Samantha Francis

Year 11 Legal Studies students were lucky to visit both the Supreme Court and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) last Monday 4th September, as part of their learning into various legal jurisdictions that can resolve disputes in Victoria. The day began with a tour of the Supreme Court of Victoria, including meeting a Supreme Court Judge. Justice Rita Incerti spoke to students about the types of cases she hears as a Supreme Court Judge (both criminal and civil), aspects of her job that she both enjoys and finds challenging, and current proposed reforms within the criminal justice system - including raising the criminal age of responsibility and the intricacies of doli incapax. Students asked insightful questions, both about Victoria’s justice systems, and the various career opportunities that are available within the legal sphere. Following this, students had the opportunity to observe a Supreme Court murder trial, which they reflected was a valuable opportunity to go beyond their conceptual learning, and better understand the significance of the criminal system in achieving justice for the families of victims.

We then spent the afternoon at VCAT gaining an overview of the tribunal's history, setup, and information about their jurisdiction, and the types of disputes they handle. They visited a VCAT hearing room and were able to participate in some mock hearings of common claims brought to VCAT.

Thank you to the Year 11 students for their exemplary participation and embodiment of our school DARE values on the day, and to parents/guardians for supporting this opportunity for students to see their Legal Studies learning in action.