Mock Trials: A Deeper Understanding of our Legal System

In the Spring, a group of eight Pickering College students put their legal knowledge to the test, participating in a competitive mock trial.

The OBA/OJEN Competitive Mock Trials (OOCMT) is a partnership between the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) and the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN), and the OBA Foundation. Most competitive mock trial tournaments in the province are part of OOCMT, which means they use the official OOCMT case and rules, and their winners may participate in upper-level competitions organized by the OBA and OJEN.

Nora Gonzalez, Yasmine Hiranandani, Rollex Austin, Sonya Kovtun, Amanda Zeng, Morgan Podd, Daria Krymchuk, and Suhana Gupta made up the PC team. This wasn’t part of the law class or the regular co-curricular program, so students went above and beyond with their commitment to the mock trial.

“I was interested in joining mock trial to further develop critical thinking and public speaking skills. As a former debater, I am always looking for new opportunities to exercise my public speaking and communication skills. It also just so happened that this opportunity also aligned with the career I wish to pursue in post-secondary, that being corporate law,” said Amanda Zeng, now in Grade 12.

Preparation

To prepare, the team worked closely with criminal lawyer Margaux Peck, who supported the students in developing their witness statements and legal scripts.

After months of preparation with the assigned case scenario, on May 7, the students ran the trial from the Crown and Defense’s perspective in front of real judges. They represented themselves with strong arguments by the legal counsel and animated and thoughtful statements by the witnesses.

Throughout this rich learning experience, students continually reiterated their scripts and responded to feedback by the judge. The judge complimented the students and said she looked forward to hearing them argue real cases in her courtroom in the future.

COLLABORATION

“Collaborating with teammates to strategize, prepare arguments, and present our case was both challenging and rewarding,” Amanda said. “I learned valuable skills such as effective communication, analytical thinking, and the importance of thorough preparation. Additionally, I gained a deeper understanding of the legal system and courtroom procedures which will be helpful in the future.”

Joshua Armstrong, Director of Teaching and Learning, oversaw the mock trial team and congratulates the students on their dedication and success.

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

“This real-world experiential education mock trial has helped our students to understand how they can advocate for others to make our world greater, better, and more beautiful than they discovered it,” Armstrong said.