2019 Practical Civics Class for Rule of Law Education: Campus Mock Jury Trial Sharing Session @ Taipei

Focusing on the system of citizen participation in criminal trials, the campus mock jury trial adapts common civil and criminal cases into courtroom short plays. Students are divided into groups: one group plays judges, prosecutors, lawyers, defendants, and witnesses, while the other group serves as jurors. During the judicial proceedings, judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel each perform their statutory duties, and witnesses undergo cross-examination. The jury deliberation process tests their ability to uphold the presumption of innocence while simultaneously learning the importance of practicing the principle of adjudication based on evidence.

In addition to the basic legal knowledge embedded in the plot—allowing students to personally experience and learn the legal issues involved in the case—the lecturer-led discussion further explains the importance of complying with the fundamental principles of criminal trials and promotes the realization of "procedural fairness and neutrality" during trials. Furthermore, the jury deliberation process is a process of communication, dialogue, and mutual persuasion, which embodies the spirit of deliberative democracy.

The JRF Campus Mock Jury Trial program began in 2015 and has since held events in schools across Taiwan. Statistics show that 163 sessions of campus mock jury trials have been completed, reaching 96 junior and senior high schools. This accounts for 4.5% of all junior high schools and 12.3% of all senior high schools in Taiwan. This indicates that 95.5% of junior high schools and 87.7% of senior high schools have yet to be partnered with, leaving much room for effort. We hope to reach out to more school teachers by holding regional sharing sessions in Northern, Central, and Southern Taiwan.

Online Registration

Time

Saturday, March 16, 2019, 14:00-16:30

Venue

Large Conference Room, 6th Floor, Legal Aid Foundation Headquarters

Address

6F., No. 189, Sec. 2, Jinshan S. Rd., Daan Dist., Taipei City (Near Exit 5 of MRT Guting Station or Exit 3 of MRT Dongmen Station)

Speakers

Hui-Chun Yu / Civics Teacher, Yilan County Wenhua Junior High School
Hsuan-Ju Ko / Attorney, Sunshine and Eternity Attorneys-at-Law
Yen-Gen Chen / Staff Attorney, Judicial Reform Foundation

Agenda

Agenda	Time	Content
Check-in	14:00-14:30	Participant teacher check-in
Opening & Introduction	14:30-14:40	Video screening, brief introduction of the purpose of promoting rule of law education through mock jury trial activities
Achievement Presentation	14:40-15:00	2018 Achievement Report
Live Experience	15:00-15:55	Operation and explanation of the new script
Experience Sharing	15:55-16:15	Sharing by civics teachers and lawyers
Q&A Session	16:15-16:30	On-site feedback, Q&A session