Harry Potter found guilty

Photo: Bill Everitt

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Photo: Bill Everitt Photo: Bill Everitt Photo: Bill Everitt Photo: Bill Everitt Photo: Bill Everitt

The famous wizard Harry Potter was convicted of second degree murder in B.C. Supreme Court in Penticton Friday.  

Potter was on trial for the murder of Hogwart's School of Magic professor Quirinus Quirrel, who was allegedly aiding and abetting Lord Voldemort at the time of the incident. 

The mock trial was a part of Penticton law day which took place during B.C. law week.

The jury, lawyers for the Crown and the defence and a sheriff were students from Trevor Robinson's law class at Princess Margaret Secondary school.

Deputy regional Crown Counsel Debra Drissell, happily acting as Madame Justice Drissell in today's proceedings, said law day is a time to have fun in a job that is usually very serious. 

"I'm always pleased to help the public and next year we intend to do something similar but we will change up the mock trials," she said. "There was a warrant outstanding since 2006 for Harry Potter and we wanted to make sure we made fast on the trial."

"Counsel agreed that we couldn't delay this matter just for the importance of Harry Potter, because Harry Potter has magical powers."

Robinson said he likes to keep Law 12 a fun course for students who choose to take it. 

"I really credit the local bar association for doing all the work of organizing and setting up. All I've been doing is bringing in the students," he said. "They get a chance to come down to the court house, see a real court room, interact with actual lawyers and sheriffs. I think that's part of what makes Law 12 an interesting course for kids."

Avid Harry Potter fan Jess Castle, who sat in the prisoner box as Harry Potter, said the event was a mix of education and fun. 

"It had the balance of being super fun - we played it out and it wasn't serious - but at the same time we learned a lot," she said. "We got to see what the court was like up front, lawyers, everything." 

Law Week is a national event held annually in April celebrating the signing of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

First held in 1983, Law Week provides an opportunity for the profession to educate the public about the vital role that lawyers and the judiciary serve in guaranteeing an open, independent and unbiased judicial system.

The second trial saw Sneezy the Wolf charged with huffing and puffing and blowing down the Three Little Pigs’ houses for a group of middle school students.

Law Week is a collaborative project organized through the partnership of the B.C. Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, the Law Foundation of British Columbia, the Law Society of British Columbia and the Vancouver Bar Association.