Students participate in Mock Trial Competition on January 14, 2008

Close to 120 Grade 12 Law students will don legal gowns at the Sudbury Courthouse this Monday, January 14th, 2008 to prosecute and defend the case of Her Majesty the Queen versus Ari Throxalon who is charged with unlawfully importing cocaine into Canada.

It’s all part of this year’s Mock Trial Competition, a joint effort of Sudbury’s legal community, Rainbow District School Board, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, and Le Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario.

A total of 22 teams will compete from ten secondary schools, including students from Chelmsford Valley District Composite School, Confederation Secondary School, Lasalle Secondary School, Lockerby Composite School, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, Manitoulin Secondary School and Sudbury Secondary School. A bilingual trial will also be introduced at this year’s competition.

Ari Throxalon stands charged that s/he, on or about the 1st day of July in the year 2007, at the City of Greater Sudbury, did unlawfully import into Canada a substance included in Schedule I, to wit:  cocaine, contrary to Section 6 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Local winners will go on to the Northeastern Mock Trial Competition to be held in Sudbury in early March. Regional winners will compete in the province-wide finals in Toronto in the spring.  Last year, students from Manitoulin Secondary School participated in the provincial Mock Trial Competition in Toronto and tied for third place.   

Participants have been diligently preparing their cases under the guidance of local lawyers since the fall. Students will be vying for the coveted Hennessy Cup. A number of additional awards will be presented – best advocate defense, best advocate crown, best witness and, the Civility Award for courtroom decorum.

The event will begin at 8:30 am sharp in Courtroom A, with an opening address by area judges. (Observers must arrive on time in order to gain entry for this portion of the proceedings.) Trials will continue throughout the day and culminate with the championship trial at 3:30 pm. The Awards Ceremony will begin at 5:00 pm. The public is welcome to attend. Photographs will be permitted throughout the proceedings.

Judy Hunda, Chair of Rainbow District School Board, commended Sudbury’s legal community for their ongoing support of student success through their generous contribution of time and expertise. “Mock trials bring learning to life. What better place to learn about the justice system than in a courtroom prosecuting and defending a case before a judge,” she says. “Our local legal community is helping to mentor the next generation of lawyers, enhancing what’s taught in the classroom.”

“The Sudbury Mock Trial Competition would not be possible without the volunteer efforts of many lawyers from local legal firms who generously give of their time to mentor student teams in preparation for the competition,” says Tiffany Roberts, Curriculum Co-ordinator for the Rainbow District School Board.  “Volunteers from the Crown Attorney’s office and from the Sudbury judicial community also lend their invaluable support to the competition.”

The Mock Trial process, now in its sixth year, is very closely aligned with 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.

Madame Justice Patricia C. Hennessy, Mock Trial Project Leader, has been a driving force behind the competition since its inception. The Hennessy Cup, presented to the winning team, is named after her. “Students have repeatedly told us that the Mock Trial project allows them to experience and learn the fundamental concepts of the justice system in a democracy,” she says. “We are pleased that Sudbury’s legal community and secondary schools support this valuable experience.” 

-30-

Media Contact:
Tiffany Roberts, Curriculum Co-ordinator,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-523-3308, ext. 8209