Mock Trial Competition: From the Classroom to the Courtroom

Grade 12 law students from seven local secondary schools will take part in the Sudbury Regional Mock Trial Competition at the Sudbury Courthouse on Friday, May 12, 2017.

In this year’s case, a taxi cab driver is charged with operating a motor vehicle in a manner that is dangerous to the public, causing bodily harm to another person, contrary to s. 249(3) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

The Mock Trial Competition will begin at 8:30 am in Courtroom A, with an opening address by the Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Ontario, Heather Smith. Trials in the preliminary round will begin at 9 am and 10:30 am. The championship trial begins at 12:30 pm. The Awards Ceremony will begin at 2:30 pm. The public is welcome to attend and photographs will be permitted.

Close to 70 students from Rainbow District School Board and the Sudbury Catholic District School Board will participate in the Mock Trial Competition. Confederation Secondary School, Lasalle Secondary School, Lockerby Composite School, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, Sudbury Secondary School, St. Benedict’s, and St. Charles College will compete for the Hennessy Cup. The top honour is named after Madame Justice Patricia C. Hennessy, Mock Trial Project Lead since the Mock Trial’s inception 16 years ago.

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 mock trial competitions like the Hennessy Cup throughout the province. The teams competing in Sudbury use the same case scenario and format as about 100 teams throughout Ontario.

The tournament is made possible with support from the Sudbury and District Law Association and local judges. This year, 14 lawyers and articling students from the Greater Sudbury area 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. To the extent possible, the students enjoy an authentic learning experience presenting their cases in actual courtrooms assisted by experienced court staff.

“The schools and families of the participating students can be very proud of their efforts,” says Madame Justice Patricia C. Hennessy. “They are engaged in experiential learning at a very high level, enhancing the theory presented to them in their classrooms.” She adds: “During the trials, the benefits of this exercise are obvious. Students show how they have integrated and learned the key concepts of the criminal justice system in Canada. Their preparation and advocacy in the courtroom has been monitored and guided by volunteer members of the Sudbury District Law Association in a long-standing partnership. The Mock Trial exercise allows students to work closely with key concepts of the trial process and to see how these concepts in practice would affect a real life situation.”

Students will have the opportunity to participate 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 will be presented – Best Advocate Defense, Best Advocate Crown, Best Witness and the Civility Award for professionalism. Students on each team will determine the recipient of the team’s “Most Valuable Player” who exemplifies leadership excellence.

Rainbow District School Board Chair, Doreen Dewar, thanks the volunteer coaches from the Sudbury and District Law Association and the Sudbury Crown Attorney’s Office who, year after year, provide hundreds of hours of time to this project. “Through the Mock Trial Competition, local lawyers make an invaluable contribution to student learning by bringing the classroom into the courtroom,” she says. “Many students have been inspired to pursue studies in the legal field after secondary school.”

She adds: “We commend the legal community for their continued contribution to this project. They are exceptional role models for community service and student success. We also applaud the Ontario Bar Association and the Ontario Justice Education Network for making this opportunity possible for students across Ontario.”

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.

“The students are faced with the difficult task of proving a criminal offense beyond a reasonable doubt,” says Madame Justice Patricia C. Hennessy. “To succeed, they must understand how to best present the evidence and to argue their positions.”

She adds: “Win or lose, they learn how difficult the job of proving a case can be and how the court grapples with different types of evidence. These are important concepts in a democracy. At the end of the day, these students, our future community leaders, will learn lessons they will never forget, develop skills they will always use, and build confidence that will stand them in good stead no matter what they do or where they go.”

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171, ext. 7217.