In a follow up to three mock trials on adjudicating offences against regulations on management and protection of endangered and rare animals organized by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Viet Nam Program in collaboration with law training institutions, on October 18, 2022, WCS continued to cooperate with Hanoi Procuratorate University (HPU) to implement the second mock trial on adjudicating offences against regulations on management and protection of endangered and rare animals exclusively for students of HPU. The mock trial was conducted within the framework of the project “Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Viet Nam” funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), United States Department of State.
Dr. Nguyen Van Khoat, Principal of the HPU; Dr. Nguyen Van Nam, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Viet Nam Court Academy; Ms. Hoang Bich Thuy, Country Director of WCS Viet Nam and about 95 HPU lecturers and students, WCS Viet Nam staff attended the mock trial.
Dr. Nguyen Van Khoat, Principal of the HPU gave the opening remark)
Nowadays, with the explosion of information and communication technology networks, illegal wildlife trade has also changed from traditional physical markets to online platforms. The case used for this mock trial related to illegal wildlife advertising and trading on Facebook and Zalo platforms and money transfer via electronic banking. At the mock trial, students used their trained knowledge of wildlife law regulations and debating skills in legal arguments in order to make appropriate decisions to sentence the offenders.
Overview of the mocktrial, Ha Noi, October, 2022
Before the mock trial, with the guidance of HPU lecturers, 20 students who were selected to attend the mock trial, representing groups of Judges, Lawyers and Procurators, developed a plan for questioning, impeachment, defense notes and indictment. After that, each group had the opportunity to discuss, consult and learn from experienced Procurators, Lawyers, and Judges who have participated in the process of handling criminal cases in general and criminal cases related to wildlife protection in particular to prepare the necessary knowledge and skills for the mock trial. They also had the opportunity to take part in a field trip in Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh province where they learned about rescue and conservation activities of some wildlife species.
At the end of mock trial, the jury board selected and provided awards to four outstanding students among the groups of the judge, lawyers, prosecutors and defendants group.
Outstanding students in the mock trial, Ha Noi, October 2022
The series of mock trials is not only an opportunity for law students to understand the rights and responsibilities of relevant authorities and individuals engaging in the criminal procedure, practise their knowledge and skills applied to the case trial in the future, but also conveys an educational message to raise awareness of people on wildlife protection laws.