When Mary meets Hugh
When we were selected for the clinical legal education exchange programme at Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) we did not really know what to expect. It was a venture into the unknown as we had not been to the Caribbean before, and this was the first year of the exchange. However, it did not stop us from taking the opportunity to explore the work of a law clinic in a Caribbean jurisdiction, Trinidad and Tobago.
By Alexandra Tanase and Idhil Jama
Arriving in Trinidad felt strangely like a home away from home. This was largely due to the warm and inclusive atmosphere at the law school and the similarities between the two legal systems. Friendly faces approached us in the corridors and in classes, making us feel at ease and welcome. Thank you to all who showed us such hospitality, making our experience a simply unforgettable one. We were lucky enough to experience Maracas Beach the day after we arrived, and of course nipped to Richards. We also had the chance to speak with a QMUL alumni currently studying at HWLS and helped us prepare for the week.
It was really interesting to compare and contrast the Legal Advice Centre at Queen Mary University of London which offers clients legal advice in the form of a letter, with the set-up at HWLS which sees the case through to representation. Reading the client files of Student Attorneys also gave an appreciation of the similarities and differences between the law in the UK and that of Trinidad and Tobago. We were surprised to see that so many parallels remained between the two jurisdictions. We also had not seen a DNA testing case before!
The exchange programme strengthened our skill set as students and future lawyers by engaging us in character building activities. A quest of the library improved our legal research skills by requiring us to locate original texts and statutes rather than relying solely on electronic resources. We also took part in time management exercises which taught us the importance of making lists and prioritising tasks when dealing with day-to-day activities – a vital skill in any career.
We were particularly fascinated to learn more about the Venezuelan migrant crisis during the Monday morning human rights clinic. Hearing about the social and economic strains this is placing on Trinidad and Tobago, namely the lack of capacity in Internal Detention Centres. In addition, how detention of migrants in the first place conflicts with the principle of Habeas Corpus.
A visit to the family court and children court was good exposure to real-life cases, and we saw how services like child protection are involved in the legal process. The setting for the family court was different than the children court because the judge sat at a round table along with the attorneys while the children court was similar to the Romanian setting where the judge led the session and the applicant sat on the left with the respondent on the right.
During the client interview simulations for the Regional Client Interviewing Competition, we enjoyed seeing different approaches to the same scenario and hearing constructive feedback given by Mr. Jason Nathu. Being part of the jury for a criminal trial simulation was a truly amazing experience. Seeing the passionate hard-working students at HWLS has inspired us to excel in our own undergraduate studies.
The clinical legal education exchange programme was unforgettable for many reasons including exposure to the Caribbean legal system, and getting to work in a Legal Aid Clinic that is different from the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre. However, most importantly the exchange was unforgettable because of the incredible people we met along the way.
A special thanks to Rhonda, Jason, Petronilla and the SRC in particular, Marcus, Letitia and Rico.