Court Observation Regarding A Trial Of A Rape

Introduction:

This report will illustrate a three hour court observation concerning a trial of a Rape case. The defendant was under trial for two counts of rape under the District Court of South Australia. The district court which is an intermediate court, hear matters that are more serious than the magistrates courts, “this court also conduct trials that are presided over a judge and sometimes with juries”. (Reference)

The observation was completed on the 26th of April 2018. The Court room was very quiet like it was a church and it remain quite until the end of the trial. I came earlier, and I had a chance to speak to the Court officer, I introduced myself as a student, I showed the letter given by the university and asked the officer if I could take some notes, he agreed to take notes as it was an

The prosecutor and the barrister representing the defendant were already there sitting in the middle of the court just in front of the gallery, the defendant was sitting at the gallery with his supporters behind the barrister. The court reporter and the Judge’s associate was sitting just below the Judge’s bench facing the gallery. Before the Judge was called, the accused was called to the bar with glass windows located to the left side of the court, alongside two other court officers, the Judge Arrived and the Judge associate ask everybody to rise and bow to the judge and the court name was announced, then with the name of the trial of Queen Vs the Accused. Everyone was asked to be seated and the Judge brought up the summary of the discussion from the last trial. The judge then called the Juries, the fifteen juries were seated at the Jury