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Celebrating 20 Years of the Sudbury Mock Trial Competition | Trevor Kestle

By Trevor Kestle ·

Law360 Canada (June 27, 2024, 11:57 AM EDT) --
Trevor Kestle
Mock trial competitions are not merely contests of legal knowledge. They are arenas where young minds sharpen their advocacy, deepen their understanding of justice and kindle a lifelong passion for the rule of law.

The Sudbury Mock Trial Competition, also known as the Hennessy Cup, is part of the OJEN/OBA Competitive Mock Trials, a provincial program of the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) and the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN). The OBA and OJEN support mock trial competitions like ours throughout the province. The Sudbury District Law Association is also a generous sponsor of the Mock Trial Competition.

This year’s case, R. v. Lavel, involved a dispute between neighbours resulting in a second-degree murder charge.

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Justice Patricia C. Hennessy and winning team: Photo by Oksana Romanov

Approximately 70 high school students from seven Northeastern district school boards participated in the 20th anniversary round of the mock trials at the Sudbury Courthouse on June 11, 2024. Successful teams competed in the championship trial for the top honour — the Hennessy Cup — which is 20 years in the making. This top honour is named after the Honourable Madam Justice Patricia C. Hennessy, who established the mock trial competition over 20 years ago and has been instrumental in growing and promoting this event over the years.

On June 11, 2024, another successful Sudbury Mock Trial Competition took place, where Lockerby Composite School emerged victorious, winning the prestigious Hennessy Cup. Espanola High School also performed admirably, securing the position of runners-up.

In addition to the Hennessy Cup, several other awards were presented, including Lacroix Lawyers Best Advocate Defense Award, Weaver Simmons LLP Best Advocate Crown Award, Miller Maki LLP Best Witness Award and the Edward J. Conroy Team Civility Award. Each team also determined the recipient of its leadership award, “Most Valuable Player.”

From the classroom to the courtroom

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the day was the opportunity given to young advocates in the making to
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Justice Patricia C. Hennessy and all participants: Photo by Oksana Romanov

practise their oral advocacy skills in front of experienced judges and justices, including the Honourable Madam Justice Patricia C. Hennessy and the Honourable Madam Justice Kathleen E. Cullin from the Superior Court of Justice, the Regional Senior Justice Karen Lische, the Honourable Justice Randall Lalande (retired) and Justice of the Peace Erin Olesen-Schinke from the Ontario Court of Justice. For those high school students who are planning to attend criminology and criminal justice programs or later go on to law school, their legal journey may bring them back to the same courtrooms in various capacities. In the future, they might be either appearing in front of the same judges as freshly minted Northern Ontario lawyers or working with the judiciary in court services support roles.  

Special thanks

This year’s tournament was also a special tribute to the unwavering dedication of local judges and lawyers who annually invest their time and expertise into this event. Numerous lawyer coaches from local law firms and the Crown Attorney’s office yet again demonstrated their strong support for this event. Special thanks were also given to the articling students and other volunteers from the Greater Sudbury area who have played important roles during the tournament.

Mooting for tomorrow

I have been involved in the Sudbury Mock Trial Competition since 2006, and I am passionate about this initiative. While the phrase “paying it forward” is a staple in the legal profession, mentoring high school students in the Sudbury District takes on a special meaning. We are now witnessing former student participants return to the community after graduating from law school to undertake the practice of law and donate their time and skills to the competition as lawyer coaches.

Support your local high school mooting team! You are investing in the future of the legal profession in the north.

Trevor H.A. Kestle is a partner at Miller Maki LLP, a full-service law firm founded in Sudbury, serving the legal needs of the vibrant and diverse communities of Northern Ontario. Kestle has exclusively practiced family law since his Call to the Bar in 2004. He has been the Sudbury Mock Trial Competition organizer and coach since 2006 as well as the Executive Member (2009-2014) and Past President (2012-2013) of the Sudbury District Law Association.

The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s firm, its clients, Law360 Canada, LexisNexis Canada or any of its or their respective affiliates. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.   

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