This article is from page 29 of the 2007-03-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 29 JPG
ORDER, order in the school. The transition years students from Lis- doonvarna’s Mary Immaculate Sec- ondary School have been opening up their minds to the Irish legal system in recent weeks through their par- ticipation in the Public Access Law Day.
Indeed, the school was one of just 25 schools from all over Ireland picked to take part in the latter stages of the competition which took place in Dublin’s Four Courts over the weekend.
They placed sixth of the 25 schools narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
Eighteen students from the school travelled to Dublin where they pit- ted their legal wits against other schools.
“We were given three differ- ent cases to contest with the other schools. We had to be the prosecu- tion on the first case, but for the other two we were defending it. The bar- risters have to make opening and closing arguments and question two witnesses,” said transition year stu- CCS al me-b aXe Moy DUR Ki Ko) mm COME MCE Dh Aa WI EDITS STi
“Each school put forward 18 stu- dents to take part in the trial. These include two barristers, four witness- es, the jury, solicitors and reserves.”
The students have been working
overtime over the last number of months and have been well prepared by Galway based solicitor James Fahy.
‘Firstly, we had a barrister in talk- ing to us about the legal system and how it all works. It was really very educational and very very interest- ing. He thought us about a lot of things and helped us to prepare for Dublin,” continued Aisling.
‘He spoke to us about how the legal system works here in Ireland, about our own rights and how the consti- tutions works. We also had a mock trial and learned how all the differ- ent parts of the court work.
‘In the court it’s about having basic manners, knowing how to conduct
yourself and how to express yourself without being biased.
“We have learned an awful lot. Not just about the legal system, but also about our own legal rights. I have also learned a lot about speaking in public and expressing myself clearly to other people.”
Four schools go forward from the competition to compete in the All- Ireland Final which takes place in the Four Courts on April 21.