THE LAW OLYMPIAD

The inaugural Law Olympiad was organised in 2000 in Kuala Lumpur with a conservative number of twenty four schools participating in the event.  The Law Olympiad was fashioned after the Olympic Games but with a legal twist to it. In the spirit of the Olympic Games, which encourages sound mind in a sound body and promotes friendship among nations, the Department of Law adopted a similar motto in the hope that the competition would successfully foster the same ideals of the Olympic Games.

Every year since its beginning, fourth, fifth and sixth formers race against time in this battle of wits to tackle the intricate and mind boggling games that make up the Law Olympiad. With Esprit de Corps as its central theme, the Law Olympiad aims at promoting camaraderie and sportsmanship among the participants when they strategise and work together as a team to overcome the challenges of the games. The competition is also aimed at encouraging and inculcating analytical and critical thinking among school goers. The criterion used in adjudicating this competition is purely logic, common sense, reasonableness  and not knowledge of the law.

Today, the Law Olympiad has become a signature event of the Department of Law, HELP University College. It is now conducted annually in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Johor Bahru and on a biennial basis in Penang and Ipoh. Lately, the Law Olympiad was taken across the shores of Malaysia to Sri Lanka and was well received by students from public and private schools from Colombo and Jaffna.

A typical day at the competition will see the students playing five challenging games where students would be required to play amongst other things a police investigator, a defence counsel and a judge. The ‘Whodunnit’ is a game where students are required to play a police investigator to determine the culprit who committed the crime based on the clues given. The ‘Trivia Quiz’ tests students’ prowess of general knowledge. The ‘Best Alibi and Plea’ is a game where students are required to raise the best defence for clients. In ‘Whats Your Verdict’, students are required to play judge and deliver the verdict in a particular trial. ‘Guess What’ is a fun filled game of charades which is packed with laughter and amusement. An exhibition mock trial is then presented by the staff and students of the Department of Law. The Law Olympiad ends with the presentation of prizes and the mock cheques to the winners.