On Wednesday 1 May, Mr Forster and Mrs Moore took Year 11 Legal Studies and Year 10 Commerce students on an excursion to the Parramatta Court precinct to immerse themselves in court proceedings. Students in Year 11 Legal Studies learn about how courts operate in Australia and the important role they play in our common law system. They will also go on to study the HSC Core Topic of Crime in Year 12, which includes the criminal trial process and sentencing procedures of courts. It was an extremely enriching day for the students that attended. They were fortunate enough to be members of galleries that sat in on 3 different types of court proceedings. These included District and Local Court matters as well as Parole Board hearings. The highlight of the day was when the group were honoured to have the opportunity to be involved in a Q and A session with a Supreme Court Justice, the Honourable Justice Geoffrey Bellew, who was presiding over a Supreme Court trial of an alleged terrorism offence. It was extremely enlightening to hear Justice Bellew speak about the role of a judicial officer and the realities of being involved in law. The day brought to life much of the content that the students learn about in the classroom. Various past students of RPCS have gone on to study and work in the field of law and it is possible that the experiences of this excursion could act as inspiration for the future careers of some students that attended.
