CDS Team Competes in Judges' Cup Mock Trial Tournament
On April 3 and 4, the Judges’ Cup was held in the court chambers of the Newmarket Courthouse. The Judges’ Cup is the largest tournament in the province and the only to be heard by actual judges in a working courthouse. The cases are developed by the Ontario Justice Education Network and are tried by students in tournaments across the province. The experience is nerve-wracking and exhilarating for the participants. There were 24 York Region schools competing in the Judges’ Cup and CDS went to trial on the second day of the tournament.
Each school team consisted of 6-8 students with 4 lawyers and 2-4 witnesses. CDS had a full complement of 8. The students prepared to present both the prosecution and defence sides of a criminal case, which this year was for assault with a weapon causing death, meaning manslaughter. In the case, the teams had to prove or disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant assaulted their ex-partner. The defence wins almost every time, so the verdict is not important. The teams are given points for their legal argumentation and for how well they portrayed their roles as lawyers and witnesses. The CDS team had been preparing for the trial since early December - it takes intense work to pull this off!
Back
CDS faced two regional rivals, playing the role of the Crown in the first trial against King City S.S., and then Defence against Richmond Hill S.S. in the second. Only four schools advance to finals held on April 17. CDS did not advance this year, but the young team gained valuable experience for future competitions. Another notable aspect is that Grade 10 student, Olivia Budweth won an individual award, the “Badger” of the tournament, as the best cross-examining lawyer. She received a trophy and a stuffed toy badger at the closing ceremony.
The eight students who went to trial in the tournament had prepared rigorously for four months, assisted by several student ‘law clerks’ from the Mock Trial club who helped with research and rehearsal. The team was also advised by Anton Kahlon, a lawyer from Vaughan, who met with the group. The group is additionally grateful for the valuable advice and assistance provided by Christine Budweth-Mingay, a retired lawyer/judge and aunt of Olivia Budweth. Coaches David Downer and Andrea Davidson could not have been prouder of the efforts put forth by these students.
The team competitors are: Jessen Patel ‘24, Kian Doust ‘24, Olivia Budweth ‘25 (captain), Zak Khan ‘25, Lily Chen ‘25, Monika Nascimento ‘25, Mariella Tsiolis ‘26, and Ananya Kapur ‘26.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
