Eleanor's Experience as a member of the jury in a Mock Trial

Having watched the mock trial last year as a member of the jury it was enlightening to watch it again from the perspective of a 2nd year law student.  

It was interesting to compare the recent mock trial to the previous one as I was able to see where certain trains of thought and argument were leading to this time round. It was also intriguing on how different cases can be similar in the aspect of proving there is reasonable doubt.  

As a member of the jury my responsibilities were to listen to the evidence and arguments given by the witnesses, prosecution and defence and come to a conclusion as to whether the defendant was guilty or not guilty. The members of the jury were able to have in depth discussions by taking all of the factors in to account to decide unanimously the verdict to be given. 

Watching the mock trial as a jury member allowed me to view a case from both the legal perspective of a law student but also from the perspective of somebody without legal knowledge. 

After the trial had finished, we were able to watch the video, which the witnesses had seen prior to the trial, as they wrote their evidence in their notebooks. It was interesting to see how witnesses can view the same thing differently and how the defence are then able to pick at these inconsistencies to cast doubt upon the jury. 

This shows the importance of the prosecution having to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt as only a fraction of doubt in members of the jury can lead to a not guilty decision. 

It also highlighted the importance for the witnesses to write down everything they see even if they deem the details not to be relevant at the time. 

Overall, the mock trial was an enjoyable experience that I would recommend any law student to partake in as it offers a realistic experience of a day in court and helps to apply the legal knowledge that you will learn on your degree.