Wednesday, 10 June 2026By Laura Chan (4L)
Winning two preliminary rounds felt surreal. When we learned that only eight schools in Hong Kong had made it to the Final Round, our team was overjoyed, but also quietly nervous. Now, a contestant has been chosen to stand for Shung Tak, yet we all know that success depends on more than individual talent. To truly advance, practice within our own team is not enough. That is why we were so grateful for the friendly match with PLK Choi Kai Yau School.
In that round, we acted as the defence. Our lawyers worked tirelessly, preparing sharp questions to challenge the prosecution’s case. We raised reasonable doubts about bias and questioned what the defendant truly knew. As the defendant, and one of the witnesses, I placed my full trust in my teammates. They were my voice, my shield. To help them build a strong defence, we witnesses did our best to navigate the opposing lawyers’ traps: avoiding yes-or-no answers, staying truthful, and never losing sight of our perspective. After all, the benefit of the doubt belongs to the defendant. Thanks to our collective effort, the objections raised by our witnesses and lawyers exposed the lack of credibility in the opposition’s case. We won the argument, but more importantly, we grew closer as a team.
Winning felt wonderful, but the real prize was the learning. The friendly match eased our anxiety for the actual competition and helped us clarify our line of argument. The key question was never about odd behaviour or prejudice; it was about knowledge, did the defendant know he was carrying drugs? Once we could prove he did not, the motion could not stand. That clarity made our practice more focused and our stance more solid.
Looking back, the turning point was in the smallest details. By reading between the lines, observing carefully, and putting ourselves in the defendant’s shoes, we found an unshakeable path to victory. As we prepare for the real battlefield, I feel nothing but gratitude for my teammates, our mentors, and every late night spent rehearsing. We will be ready. We will support our counsel. And we will carry the spirit of Shung Tak with us every step of the way.