On Monday, 15 July, students in Years 10, 11 and 12 from Legal Studies and the Mock Trial Team travelled to Canberra to learn more about how government and the law works.

First stop was the High Court where students learned about the role and operation of the High Court as a branch of government under the Australian Constitution. They were able to apply what they already know about how Australia was federated and how the courts work with each other and Parliament to administer law and justice in Australia.

The afternoon focused on how Parliament works. Students first visited the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House where they retraced the steps and events of Gough Whitlam’s dismissal as Australian Prime Minister in 1975.

Following that, they visited Parliament House where they were given a tour of the building, including the House of Representatives and the Senate. They were then given the opportunity to role play how legislation is introduced, debated and passed in Parliament to become Australian law.

The students gained a lot of insight into legal structures and processes that they have been studying in class and also gained an appreciation of their role as citizens in the political process. Most importantly, they got to visit the actual sites where government works and experience the beauty of the buildings that have seen so many historical milestones in Australia’s legal and political history.