Four Sabah high schools to compete in mock trial competition

KOTA KINABALU: Four high school teams from Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau will battle it out for first place in the inaugural Griffith Law School Sabah High Schools Mock Trial Competition, this weekend.

The Sabah Law Society (SLS), in a statement here yesterday, said the four finalists La Salle High School, Sung Siew Secondary School, St. Francis Convent and Tawau Secondary School eliminated competitions from across the state in two previous rounds, debating fictive legal cases and learning more about the work of lawyers in the process.

Mock trial competitions are increasingly popular activities for pre-university students all over the Asia-Pacific region.

The Griffith Law School Sabah High School Mock Trial Competition brought this competition to Sabah this year.

Sixteen teams from Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau were engaged in this competition, which was made possible through the close collaboration between Griffith University and its local partners, MMS Market Management Services Sdn Bhd and the Sabah Law Society.

The grand final will be held this Sunday at the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex and will be presided over by a High Court Judge.

The first, second and third placed teams will compete for MYR 6,000 in prize money.

Associate Professor Therese Wilson, Dean of Griffith Law School, meanwhile said civil society was the real winner.

“Nearly one hundred Sabahan high school students have gained a deeper understanding of law and the role it plays in dispute resolution in our modern world. I would be delighted if as a result of participating in this competition, a couple of young Sabahans have become interested in pursuing law in order to contribute towards a more equitable and just society,” she said.