Humpty Dumpty left scrambling
Mock trial jury finds nursery rhyme character responsible for own actions in fall from wall
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Friday, April 21, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
In the end, Humpty Dumpty was responsible for his own fall from the king's wall.
Mock trial players gather for a group photo following Humpty Dumpty's trial at the Yellowknife Courthouse on Tuesday. Humpty Dumpty's lawyer, played by Crown prosecutor Gary Wool, back row left, is joined by the king's lawyer, Sarah Arngna'naaq, Hayley Fitzgerald who played Squire Fanmoth, Candace Seddon who played Old Lady Haggis, Kelly McLaughlin - Dr. Beaten Eggs, Benjamin Teed who played Humpty Dumpty, Laura Faryna - Sir Warthead and front row Nick Leeson the King of Carol Land. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
On Tuesday, a jury ruled the King of Carol Land was not negligent nor responsible for Dumpty's pain and suffering, or his medical and legal bills.
That was the outcome of a mock civil trial held for Grade 10 students from Sir John Franklin School at the Yellowknife Courthouse.
The mock trial, a collaboration between the Department of Justice and the Canadian Bar Association, is held annually to teach high school students about what goes on inside a courtroom, the legal process involved in a trial and the constitutional rights all Canadians enjoy. Past mock trials involved criminal offences. It is believed this was the first civil trial.
GNWT lawyer Christopher Buchanan, NWT vice-president of the Canadian Bar Association, said the event is always held around the annual Law Day, sponsored by the bar association.
"This year, it takes on added significance," Buchanan told students who had filled the main Supreme Court courtroom. "It was 35 years ago yesterday that Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
Before the trial got underway in front of Territorial Court judge Robert Gorin, each member of the courtroom staff introduced themselves and explained exactly what it is they do during a trial. The clerk explained she is the liaison between the judge and the lawyer and part of her job is to make sure the proceedings go smoothly. The court reporter told students she keeps track of what is said by all the parties using a stenograph machine. The sheriff emphasized his role as head of security for the court by sternly telling the children to make sure their cellphones were off during the trial.
Gary Wool, a Crown prosecutor in real life but lawyer for Dumpty in this trial, explained to the 13 student jurors the egg was suing the king for pain and suffering incurred during his fall from the king's wall. He also said Dumpty was after $78,000 in damages for his current and future medical bills as well as his "substantial" legal bills.
Dumpty told the court the wall looked like a car had crashed into it and the king was rude when he asked him for a new wall.
"He swore a bit, laughed and said he didn't want to waste money on a wall for a fat, stupid egg," Dumpty told the court.
The king's lawyer, Sarah Arngna'naaq, also a Crown prosecutor, told the court the king was not responsible for the fall because Dumpty was trespassing on the wall at the time of the fall and ignored a "No Climbing" sign on the wall. Court heard from Dr. Beaten Eggs, an "eggopaedic" surgeon who treated Dumpty after the fall.
"He was going to yolk to death," she testified. "It took 56 pins to put him back together."
Court heard from several other witnesses who either saw the fall or its aftermath.
The king also testified and defended himself, saying he is always under pressure to build new walls.
"Many people ask for new walls, but they are mostly Americans. I have the greatest people, the smartest people to maintain my walls," he said to laughter from the students in an obvious reference to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Jury member Paris Levavasseur said she and her fellow jurors came to their unanimous conclusion quite easily after about 10 minutes of deliberations.
"Humpty Dumpty was illegally climbing the wall and was not permitted and there had been signs that said he could not climb the wall," Lavavasseur told Yellowknifer after the verdict. "Although the king built the wall - he didn't have anything else to do with his fall. It's not like he pushed him off the wall."
Levavasseur said she felt the event was a worthwhile one, noting that court in real life does not always work the way it does on TV.
