justice for all
Kate Altomare
Rosalie Fourniotis
Oki Gardner
Teachers- Humanities
Magistrates Court
Tahli Carta Davis
Year 10
The Magistrates Court excursion for Legal Studies was great!
Students left school at about 10.30am, walked to Jewel Station and caught the train to Flagstaff station, then walked a short way to the Magistrates Court. After we got checked through security, Ms Gardner and Ms Altomare gave us a few instructions and then let us go to investigate. We were allowed to go to any court room we wanted to in order to see the legal processes in action.
At the beginning I was a bit scared about entering the court rooms because the whole environment was intimidating, but Ms Altomare offered to come in with us which was very helpful. I heard some very interesting cases about assault, armed robbery, a breach of a Community Corrections Order and the theft of a vehicle.
The excursion was even more interesting and enjoyable than I thought it would be. It was fun. It was very beneficial because we had studied the Magistrates Court in class (who works in the court, types of cases and so on) but being able to go see it operating in real life gave us a deeper understanding of the court and how it works. I highly recommend doing Legal Studies to future Year 10 students who are interested.
Lodden Prison
Katey Vagianakis
Year 11
This excursion was very interesting.The Year 11 Legal Studies students and teachers went to Lodden Prison, Castlemaine last term.
We met four prisoners: two murderers, one illicit drug trafficker and one who had shot at police. We spoke to these prisoners about prison lifestyle, why they committed their offences and whether prison is rehabilitating them. Each prisoner told their side of the story, explained how their prison journey has changed them as individuals and described their plans for when they leave prison.
The excursion to Lodden prison relates to our Legal Studies course through the study of the sanctions and principles of justice. It was a eye-opening experience for us, as students, to see what prison is like and how it has changed peoples lives.
The personal experience that I took from this excursion is to always think twice because your actions can change your life. I was also reminded that everyone is human, despite what they have done in the past.
Supreme Court
Aaron Petsios
Year 12
Earlier this year, the Year 12 Legal Studies class had the pleasure of attending a thoroughly rewarding excursion to the Supreme Court and County Court of Victoria.
The excursion presented an opportunity for students to observe the practical application of our studies and gain a pragmatic understanding of the criminal and civil processes involved in a trial.
For many of us, this was our first real exposure to the function of the Victorian Legal System. My class was fortunate enough to interact with a County Court Judge and gain an insight into the roles and responsibilities of a Judge. The class had the opportunity to observe cases in the both the County Court and Supreme Court, before being allowed to explore the historic Supreme Court Library.
As aspiring lawyers, this excursion was a tremendous experience and extremely worthwhile and I encourage the school to continue to hold this excursion for future students. I would also like to take this chance to extend thanks on behalf of the Year 12 students to Rosalie Fourniotis and Kate altomare for organising and coordinating this event, along with other teachers that assisted on the day.
