Conversation in Court - Trial in English

Excerpts from the trial:


WILLIAM: I’d like to welcome everyone here this evening for what should be a very interesting time. My name is William. I
represent the petitioner. You all are in a court room. You’re watching a trial and you’re expected to follow proper court room decorum and behaviour. Now let me take a moment to tell you the
names of the participants here ……. The judge is …… the Court Officer is …….. the Court Clerk is ……. …The counsel for the Oxfordians is ……… For the man from Stratford’s position
……… Now we have a jury. The jury is composed of some very distinguished people and I want to tell you who they are ………

COURT OFFICER: All rise for the jury. Please be seated.

JUDGE: The petitioner may proceed.

WILLIAM: Thank you, your Honour. May it please the court and members of the jury, I represent the true Shakespeare and I have tonight for you an expert witness from, a professor of Shakespeare, indeed, a Shakespeare scholar for 63 years. Mr. Louis will be my expert witness.

JUDGE: You have one half-hour on direct testimony and a 15- minute cross-examination of each witness. You may proceed.

WILLIAM: Good. Could you tell the court and jury your name, please?

LOUIS: Louis.

WILLIAM: And would you describe briefly the evidence that shows that William Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon, who becameWilliam Shakespeare of London, was born and raised and was a living being in Stratford-on-Avon?
……………………….
JUDGE: Mr. Louis, the counsel for the Oxfordians (CO) has some questions for you, so if you could be patient and stay there.
………………………
CO: Let’s now talk about this fellow from Stratford. I gather he was christened, at least that’s what the Church says, as Gulielmus Shackspere. That’s correct, is it not?

LOUIS: That’s true.

CO: And his father was illiterate. Is that right?

LOUIS: Um, yes, his father was illiterate.

CO: And his daughters were illiterate?

LOUIS: Suzanna could sign her name.

CO: She could sign her name. Could she do any more than sign her name?

LOUIS: No.

CO: Neither could his wife.

LOUIS: No.

CO: So all of these people — father, wife, daughters — were all illiterate in the family of this man who was the greatest writer in the English-speaking world?
…………………………..
…………………………..
JUDGE: Mr. Foreman, Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?

JURY: Yes we have.

JUDGE: Announce it to the court and to the assemblage.

JURY: The Jury finds as follows. For the Earl of Oxford, four ballots; for William Shakespeare, ten ballots. [applause]
JUDGE: So say you, Mr. Foreman; so say you all, members of the Jury. The verdict is made a record of this case. These proceedings are concluded. [applause]

Note: The above mock trial took place in the USA, where the jury system is prevalent. The jury system is not present in the Indian judicial system now.

A mock trial or moot court is a simulation of an appellate court’s proceedings. Two teams examine a legal problem and present arguments for both sides of the case to a group of appellate judges. The judges review the teams’ arguments and ask them questions about the case. (It includes opening statements, examination/crossexamination of witnesses, display of evidences, closing statements and the pronouncing of the verdict.)