Rainbow Schools garner gold and silver at the 2023 Mock Trial Competition

Rainbow District School Board students who showcased their analytical and critical thinking skills at the Mock Trial Competition garnered gold and silver medals, and captured a number of individual awards. The trial was held on June 13th at the Sudbury Courthouse.

Grade 12 law students from Rainbow District School Board and Near North District School Board donned legal gowns to prosecute and defend an individual charged with “assault with a weapon causing death and thereby committing manslaughter,” contrary to s. 236 of the Criminal Code of Canada.

The Hennessy Cup was awarded to Sudbury Secondary School students Katelynn Bell, Quinn Charsley, Lola Cobersky, Ally Constable, Ary Duong, Joey MacKinnon, Karly Thornton and Mitchell Saraiva, as well as coaches Kevin Ludgate and Kaely Whillans.

Silver medals were presented to Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School’s Baraa Al-Dajani, Trey Donovan, Ava Lamothe, Emma Poupore, Matteo Rocca, Sonya Thompson and Jacqueline Vanden Berg, as well as coaches Mike Gauthier and James Ross.

Students from Confederation Secondary School, Lasalle Secondary School, Lockerby Composite School, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School and Chippewa Secondary School competed for the Hennessy Cup – aptly named after Madame Justice Patricia C. Hennessy,  who led the Mock Trial Competition since its inception in 2001.

“One of the cornerstones of our Canadian Criminal Justice System is the presumption of innocence,” said Regional Senior Justice Karen L. Lische. “The standard to prove all of the essential elements of the offence beyond a reasonable doubt is a high one.”

She added: “Regardless of the outcome – guilty or not guilty – students were given a rare opportunity to gain competencies that will serve them well in the future.”

The Hennessy Cup is part of the OJEN/OBA Competitive Mock Trials – a provincial program of the Ontario Bar Association and the Ontario Justice Education Network. The OBA and OJEN support competitions like the Hennessy Cup throughout the province. Teams competing in Sudbury use the same case scenario and format as other teams throughout Ontario.

The competition was made possible with support from the Ontario Justice Education Network, Sudbury and District Law Association and local judges. This year, presiding Judges were Regional Senior Justice Karen L. Lische, retired Ontario Court Justice Randall Lalande, Regional Senior Justice of the Peace Gary McMahon, and Deputy Small Claims Court Judge Lisa Barazzutti.

Leading up to the event, 17 lawyers and articling students from the Greater Sudbury area, as well as three lawyers from North Bay, volunteered their time to assist and coach students as they prepared their cases. The local office of the Ministry of the Attorney General is also a strong supporter and accommodates the competition in the courthouse with both facilities and staff. To the extent possible, the students enjoy an authentic learning experience presenting their cases in actual courtrooms with experienced court staff.

“Those students who participated in the Mock Trials put in a lot of effort,” said Madam Justice Karen L. Lische. “They were prepared and focused for their trial thanks to the mentoring and coaching of numerous local lawyers who donated their valuable time for this event. The skills they learn and practice during the mock trial process will help them, no matter the career they choose.”

She added: “It was wonderful to welcome students back into court for this competition following the pandemic. Their enthusiasm, efforts, and smiles brought a sense of joy and pride to all volunteers associated with the event. We are already looking forward to next year.”

Students participated in trials throughout the day with the top two performing teams participating in the Championship Trial. In addition to the Hennessy Cup, a number of other awards were presented. Students on each team determined the recipient of the team’s “Most Valuable Player” who exemplified leadership excellence.

Rainbow District School Board Chair Bob Clement extended thanks to the many volunteer coaches from the Sudbury Crown Attorney’s Office and the Sudbury and District Law Association. “Through the competition, local lawyers make a critical contribution to student learning by bringing the classroom into the courtroom,” he said. “As a result, many students have been inspired to pursue studies in the legal field following secondary school.”

“I extend sincere thanks to Mock Trial organizers Regional Senior Justice Karen L. Lische, Superior Court Justice Kathleen Cullin, lawyer Trevor Kestle of Miller Maki LLP and Curriculum Coordinator Dr. Tiffany Roberts,” said Director of Education Bruce Bourget. “We also applaud the Ontario Justice Education Network and the Ontario Bar Association for providing this exceptional learning opportunity for students.”

The Mock Trial Competition is well established within the Grade 12 Law curriculum. In addition to meeting curriculum expectations, mock trials develop other skills in students, including public speaking, teamwork, presentation, preparation and critical thinking skills.

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Media Contact:

Dr. Tiffany Roberts, Curriculum Coordinator,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-523-3308, ext. 8209.