No one could dispute that the first year of Kennedy Baptist College’s return to the Law Society of Western Australia’s Mock Trial Competition was a great success. This annual program is endorsed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) and has students operate as barristers, solicitors, witnesses and court staff to prosecute a case before senior members of the legal profession.
Just like any athlete, these students train weeks before their day in court, receiving the materials for the hearing two weeks before their round. They then need to prepare an oral argument for the case, including opening and closing statements and questions for the witnesses. While they are dealing with real laws in their cases, the focus is on developing advocacy skills rather than knowledge of substantive law, and students must think on their feet in response to questions from the judge or challenges from the opposition.
Our students, under the instruction of Mr Hayden McWilliams, travelled to the state’s Supreme Court building for three rounds of debate and advocacy, winning each one of their cases and progressing to the challenging Round of 16. If the team is successful in this knock-out stage, they may even be able to debate in front of the Chief Justice of Western Australia, a great honour for this host of Year 11 and 12 students.
Even if they do not make it into the final trial, this competition has been a great way for our students to experience real life law in practice and has allowed them a formal setting to meet members of the profession and network with other students studying Politics and Law. As a promising return to the courtroom, this year’s performances will also hold our participating Year 11 students in good stead for next year.
Thank you to our staff for helping our students achieve so much in this space and well done to our students for doing so well in it!
