Mock trial: A bright spot in legal education for students

TVU – Mock trials are a new format that has allowed legal and moral education for students to be taught in a more engaging way than traditional textual propaganda; it makes it easier for students to absorb legal information, to willingly obey the law, and to spread awareness of the need to preserve public safety and security.

The School of Economics and Law hosts the 10th mock trial in 2023 on the evening of November 16, to promote and spread legal education. A large number of students are drawn to the event which takes place at Hall E21.105, Campus 1, Tra Vinh University.

Attending the trial are Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Van Nguyen, Principal of the School of Economics and Law, and representatives of other departments, committees, and centers of Tra Vinh University.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Van Nguyen, Principal of the School of Economics and Law, delivering the opening speech of the mock trial

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Van Nguyen, Principal of the School of Economics and Law, states in his remarks that the mock trial is an annual activity of the School of Economics and Law, a useful playground, and an indispensable part of the curriculum of law students. It attempts to fully develop law students’ skills, including the skills to read and evaluate court papers, trial control skills, and litigation skills. Students are therefore given the chance to practice skills necessary for their studies and get acquainted with the legal system.

Law education, propagandizing, and dissemination have long been significant parts of ethics and lifestyle education at Tra Vinh University. A civilized lifestyle must include living and working in compliance with the Constitution and the law; thus, teaching youth union members and young people the importance of abiding by the law is essential.

The mock trial lasts about 90 minutes, recreating the first-instance trial of a criminal case for “murder” on stage.

Law students participate in the mock trial in a variety of positions, whether it is as a presiding judge, people’s assessors, a prosecutor, a court clerk, attorneys, a defendant, or witnesses.

The principal components deployed in the trial include the opening proceedings, examinations, debates, and jury deliberation and verdict. The whole trial takes place with the prosecutor’s profound and rigorous arguments, the attorneys’ logical defenses, and the transparent and impartial judgment of the jury.

By simulating an actual trial, the mock trial offers a more vivid and realistic type of propaganda to deliver the message “Follow the Constitution and the law in life and work.”

PhD student Phan Minh Gioi, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law of the School of Economics and Law, claims that the mock trial is a highly interactive propaganda tool that perfectly reflects the circumstances of the actual case in a realistic way and piques the audience’s attention.

Students might use this as a chance to approach and better understand the legal laws relating to the main concern of the trial. In this way, students’ knowledge, comprehension, and feeling of law observance are improved, which helps bring the law to life.

Son Thi A Na, a student in the Civil Law class of 2022, observes the full mock trial and comments that she can better grasp the laws about murder since all of the facts and developments of the trial are displayed on stage. Although it is a mock trial, Tra Vinh University students in general and law students in particular may learn a great deal about the law from it.

The students who are the best role players receive First, Second, Third, and Consolation Prizes from the Organizing Committee after the trial, and presents are given to the audience members who accurately predicted the result of the trial.

By Lan Anh