Year 12 Legal Studies
Year 12 Legal Studies
Learning the practical aspect of dispute resolution in South Australia
The Year 12 Legal Studies students visited the Law Courts to observe how serious and minor criminal disputes are resolved in Australia. In the Supreme Court, the students witnessed a ‘not-guilty’ murder verdict being delivered by a judge relating to a murder charge from 2019 in Murray Bridge. Students also observed a witness giving evidence in a serious criminal trespass case in the District Court and some minor offences in the Magistrates Court.
Ms Lucyna Zwolski
Year 12 Legal Studies Teacher
STUDENTS reflect:
“In the Stage 2 Legal Studies course, we have learned about the judiciary’s role in interpreting and applying law. We were recently granted the opportunity to visit the courts to better understand the content we have learned in class. We watched several cases in the Supreme, District and Magistrate courts, and were able to apply the knowledge Ms Zwolski has taught us, to real-life circumstances. By viewing the defence’s attempt at casting doubt on the evidence given by the prosecution, as well as the judges’ decision making, we were able to further understand the roles of different parties in the legal system. This visit has also exposed us to tensions within the legal system, such as the difficulty the jury may have in sifting through evidence, and the lack of diversity within the jury system. We thank those involved in organising this excursion and look forward to future opportunities such as this!” Banen Ahmady, Mahlet Negash, Sarina Najjar and Monique Oaks (Stage 2 Legal Studies students)
