Campus Mock Trial Train-the-Trainer Workshop
Last edited: 2026-08-29
The campus mock jury trial program is built around citizen participation in adjudication. Common civil and criminal cases are adapted into short courtroom dramas, with students divided into groups: one group plays the judge, prosecutor, attorneys, defendant, and witnesses, while another serves as the jury. During the proceedings, the judge, prosecutor, and defense counsel each perform their legal roles, and witnesses are subject to cross-examination. Jury deliberation challenges students to apply the presumption of innocence and understand why adjudication must be based on evidence.
The scenarios introduce basic legal concepts and allow students to experience the legal issues in a case firsthand. In the guided discussion, instructors also explain the fundamental principles of criminal trials and emphasize procedural fairness and neutrality. Jury deliberation itself is an exercise in communication, dialogue, and persuasion-and therefore in deliberative democracy.
After passage of the Citizen Judges Act, rule-of-law education has become even more urgent for members of the public who may one day sit alongside professional judges. Legal professionals and educators can contribute not only their expertise but also engaging, experiential courses that help students enter the world of law.
This train-the-trainer workshop will introduce lively, hands-on teaching methods that participants can use to guide students through mock trials and help them understand basic legal concepts and the meaning of citizen participation in adjudication.
This year, we are also releasing the lesson-plan materials so frontline teachers can try running the program independently or collaborate with attorneys. We welcome interested partners to join us!
Time
December 26 (Sat.), 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Venue
Main Conference Room, Taipei Bar Association (9F, No. 7, Sec. 1, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City)
Speakers
Lin Yi-Chun / Civics and Society Teacher, Banqiao Senior High School
Ko Hsuan-Ju / Campus Mock Trial Trainer (Attorney)
Chen Yen-Heng / Campus Mock Trial Trainer (Attorney)
Agenda
| Agenda | Time | Session | Speaker |
| Check-in | 14:00-14:10 | Check-in | - |
| Introduction | 14:10-14:20 | Program Introduction | Chen Mei-Hui |
| Hands-On Exercise | 14:20-15:20 | Mock Trial Exercise & Deliberation | Attorney Chen Yen-Heng |
| Break | 15:20-15:30 | Intermission | - |
| Experience Sharing | 15:30-16:00 | Experience Sharing by a Civics Teacher and Campus Mock Trial Trainers | Lin Yi-Chun Attorney Ko Hsuan-Ju |
| Q&A | 16:00-16:30 | Participant Feedback and Q&A | Lin Yi-Chun Attorney Ko Hsuan-Ju Attorney Chen Yen-Heng |
Organizers
Judicial Reform Foundation
Legal Education Committee, Taipei Bar Association
Judicial Reform Committee, Taipei Bar Association
Criminal Law Committee, Taipei Bar Association
This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Chinese text. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.