700 spectators for a mock trial

On 18 March, the Teilhard de Chardin amphitheatre was turned into a courtroom for the third edition of the student mock trial, entitled ‘The Price of Infidelity’. Organised by the student associations Sciencesposards and the Oratorium, the event attracted over 700 spectators who came to watch an immersive performance combining law and eloquence.

Led by Juliette Dehay, a second-year student and vice-president of the Oratorium, and Margaux Behin, a third-year student and general secretary of Sciencesposards, the project brought together a large number of students to organise a demanding event that was perfectly executed. With the support of Dean Sarah Durelle-Marc, Rémy Eripret (Head of Student Affairs) and the teaching staff, the two societies successfully organised a major event, demonstrating their commitment and professionalism.

The audience was drawn into a plot blending marital drama with criminal issues: an infidelity revealed, an altercation, followed by a fatal accident under mysterious circumstances. Very quickly, the mock trial took a criminal turn, with the question of intent becoming central. The suspense, maintained right up to the very end, kept the entire amphitheatre on the edge of their seats.

Before a panel of three teachers: Alice Caravetta (Assessor in charge of student support and Senior Lecturer in Private Law and Criminology), Elodie Letombe-Timmerman (Head of the Master’s in Social Law and Senior Lecturer) and Delphine Pollet-Panoussis (Head of the Master’s in Legal and Administrative Professions, Director of the C3RD and Professor of the Catholic Universities), the students delivered high-quality oral presentations.

Pleadings, summations and interrogations revealed a true mastery of legal discourse, combining rigour and clarity. On the other side were the key figures: Lina Williatte-Pellitteri (Head of the Master’s programmes in Law of Health and Medical Responsibility and Digital Health Law, and Professor with HDR status), Paul Duchesne (PhD research assistant) and Graziella Pellitteri (academic registrar), who handled the case with great dedication.

Beyond the performance itself, this exercise is a valuable training tool. It enables students to develop essential skills: public speaking, structuring arguments, adaptability, active listening and teamwork. These skills are essential to the practice of law and are put into practice here in a real-world setting.

This third edition of the mock trial confirms the success of a format that has become unmissable, strengthening both the students’ skills and cohesion within the Faculty of Law, in an environment that is as challenging as it is unifying.