By Kelly Malone

Mock drug trial gives aboriginal students lesson on legal ropes

Jan 24, 2015 | 11:38 AM

The gavel laid down the “not guilty” verdict chosen by a jury of students from St. Frances School during a mock drug trafficking trial Friday morning in Saskatoon.

The around 40 students also filled the positions of prosecutor, defence lawyer, juror, and witness during the proceedings at the Native Law Centre.

“I have to try and take down the accused, put him in jail,” Grade 8 student and Crown prosecutor Sadie Bowman said.

“I definitely got to know each role better and what the jury actually does. I was really curious about that.”

Bowman said she was actually happy about the verdict, even if it meant she didn’t achieve her goal, because it’s a lot of pressure and responsibility.

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“All the evidence came up to not guilty,” Grade 6 student Madison Pahtayken said, adding that it was nothing like she expected from watching TV programs.

“(I expected) a lot of drama and yelling, guilty not guilty… I see that it’s more professional, more complicated and more simple than I expected.”

Even without the drama, the big chair at the front of the room seemed very enticing to Pahtayken.

“I want to be a judge because when I was a judge it was fun,” she said with a beaming smile.

The process to get to the final verdict actually began in November with the Dare to Dream program which is organized by Canadian Lawyers Abroad designed to “increase the number of opportunities for aboriginal law students, promote diversity in the legal and business community and foster a greater understanding of aboriginal culture and issues.” 

For the St. Frances students, it meant weekly meetings with University of Saskatchewan law students. After learning the basics of the Canadian legal system and preparing, the trial began presided over by provincial court Judge Gerald Morin.

“I think it’s very important with young people, whenever we get a chance, to give a positive contact with them in relation to the justice system,” Morin explained.

“Today’s trial in terms of the facts situation is, sad to say, very real in terms of life. Drug trafficking and a young person and being judged by his peers.”

Morin who grew up in Cumberland House and is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has 14 years experience as a judge. In that time he’s seen how important it is to engage young aboriginal people.

“The big picture is that seeing the young aboriginal students, seeing them in that situation, a positive contact with the justice system, they are not recipients they are are participants in relation to it,” Morin explained.

“To me that is very important. I think so often we see it in another situation, not a good situation.”

He added that in his career he has seen the number of aboriginal lawyers in Canada growing. Morin said in 1973 there was five native lawyers across the country and “we have now had probably close to 1,800, somewhere along that line.”

Although the students seemed a little nervous, Morin said it looks like that number could continue to grow.

“I think there are a lot of future lawyers in there… I think the highlight of it was they were serious, they wanted to do a good job. That was important,” he said.

“I believe they took from it that ‘I could do this.’ I hope they did that and they played a role in something that could be real.”

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