Oak Bay High students were among the 140 young people were at the provincial courthouse learning about the challenges of the law and trials in particular. The 2017 BC Provincial High School Mock Trial Competition April 22 saw 14 teams from 10 high schools, including two teams from Oak Bay.
“I thought the judges were really helpful and I learned a lot through their feedback, it was a really good experience getting to go through the process of a real trial and I had a great time,” said Oak Bay High student Naomi Hill.
Students participated in a simulated criminal trial in front of volunteer judges from the Victoria Bar Association. The case to be tried is a controversial assault case, and students had been preparing their cases for many months. Students played the Crown and the defence as well as witnesses and the accused.
“Each year the teams get better,” said semi-final judge Michael Butterfield, adding the calibre of the students would rival any law school. “Judging is always hard when you have such strong competitors.”
“We are very pleased to have the support of the local legal community and the Justice Education Society, who have come together to hold this exciting and highly educational event,” said Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, tournament co-organizer.
A team from the BC Forensic League, an independent debate club from the Mainland, won.