The Long Arm of the Law

Marty Loon Contributor

Hi my name is Marty Loon and I’m from Mishkeeg-ogamang Ontario. I’m on placement/training program with SEVEN and my first assignment was to attend a mock trial that was hosted for the benefit of Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School students by the Ontario Justice Education Network in Thunder Bay at the Superior Court House.

The students who attended the day-long event contributed substantially to the trial by acting out scripted roles of either crown or defence lawyers, jurors and the accused.

It was neat to watch the trial unfold because the students were reading out their lines (it was a criminal court hearing) that was based on a fictitious event, which I have to admit was a bit funny at times because of they way the Education Network wrote the day’s proceedings (without giving anything away, I think they added twists into the scripts on purpose for the benefit of the students).

“This project is a unique opportunity for students at DFC, as well as for their families and community members to learn about the operation of our justice system in a fun, non-confrontational way,’ said Sarah McCoubrey, the (OJEN’s) Executive Director.

It was a fascinating experience watching the youth play roles that were scripted to be as true to the judicial process as possible.

“We felt that letting the students learn about the fundamentals, the basics of a courtroom would give them a sense of how the criminal court system is run and what it takes when a criminal offender is accused and brought to justice,” McCoubrey said.

I talked to some of the students who participated in the day’s proceedings and was impressed about how enthused they were.

“Everything about it was cool and I liked playing the lawyer,” said one student. “It was an eye opener… how things can take a turn during the proceedings,” said.

As an added bonus, the day’s proceedings were also filmed with the intention of DVD’s being created so they could be shipped to northern First Nations and shared with the communities as an educational tool about Canada’s judicial system.

The film will be edited and readied for release sometime this summer.

Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School students contributed substantially to a mock trail after being assigned roles as either its jurors, lawyers and defendants at a Thunder Bay Superior Court House event put on March 2 by a contingent of local lawyers, legal professionals and the Ontario Justice Education Network for the students’ educational benefit.